


Ice Melts

by FicticiousDelicious



Category: Bleach
Genre: Christmas, Christmastime, Complete, Drama, Homosexuality, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sex, Slightly Alternate Universe, Violence, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Winter, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-05-18 11:45:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 42,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14852132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FicticiousDelicious/pseuds/FicticiousDelicious
Summary: With warmth the frosty ice over a chilled heart may melt. Aizen has rattled Grimmjow to the core by treating the sexta like an object; can Ichigo [19yrs] see past his personal irritation during the busy holidays for the Espada’s sake? It remains to be seen… A story for Christmastime.This story is COMPLETE.Please note: this is not perfect canon to Bleach.!!Disclaimer!! I do not own the characters or settings mentioned in Ice Melts nor do I make any profit of any kind from their mention. Ownership of these Bleach characters and settings goes to Tite Kubo. All Characters/Settings © Tite KuboDeviantArt.com/FicticiousDelicious or FicticiousDelicious.Tumblr.com





	1. Desert of the Uncaring...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: n/a

First Segment

_"Desert of the Uncaring..."_

 

            Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez went bolting down one of the dreary white halls of Las Noches. He shoved anything and _anyone_ in his path out of the way. Lesser arrancar shrunk back with their sore bodies. He didn't care who or what he pushed; there was only one thing on Grimmjow's mind. _'How could this happen?!'_ How and why did it have to be him?! The aggressive blue haired man knocked into Ulquiorra Cifer along his way and didn't slow down or stop to pick a fight as would have been the usual. Had he slowed he would have caught the shorter male glaring after him.

 

            "What has gotten into that fool's mind now..." the cuarta Espada mumbled rubbing his shoulder and continuing on his way. He didn't care what Grimmjow's reason might be, making him so bumptious, it was obnoxious and rude...that hulking brute's attitude.

 

            Save for orders to form cooperative teams, members of the Espada weren't partial to comfort one another. If someone was upset or angry, hardly ever sad, which emotion it was did not matter. It was that individual's own private business - until, much like Grimmjow's situation, it became something explosive and roped in others. Perhaps a member of the Espada's fracción would be curious or could offer some comfort; though, without a fracción you were totally alone in whatever feelings you had. The bottled-up emotions could be maddening, and some Espada were better at keeping their composure than others. Then again, how easy it is to keep calm and collected depends upon just what happened to upset you...

 

            Shoving to the ground several more bodies that couldn't react to him fast enough, Grimmjow speed-walked through the halls where underlings, non-Espada like Números, had residence. How dare these weaklings irritate him by standing in his way! The mighty ‘King’ was scrambling to get away from this place, face flushed the pinkish-red color of roses. It was a desperate measure, fleeing. He shoved another unimportant body aside, feeling a mixture of explosive anger and mortification still weighing hard on himself. A few minutes later Grimmjow could make out the sight of a tall doorway ahead of him in the dreary and barely lit hall. _'Finally! The fucking front door!'_ It had taken long enough. Suddenly Grimmjow was caught by one arm and yanked around to face Starrk, who had come to this wing strictly to intercept him.

 

            Swiftly the primera Espada asserted his impeding hold, though a single hand wouldn't even come close to wrapping entirely around the sexta Espada's muscle thickened arm. "I heard commotion as well as talk from several of _us_ that you'd been rampaging around and breaking things. I'd hope for your sake there's a good reason-"

 

            "Lemmie guess," Grimmjow spat, "Aizen's furious. Blah, blah, blah, right?"

 

            "He sent me down here to bring you back."

 

            "Well I don't give a good goddamn!" With a jerky movement Grimmjow was free of Starrk's grasp. "Tell that jackass he's seen the last of me. I'm fuckin' through dealing with him."

 

            Starrk moved to grab the other man again but Grimmjow backed up to avoid it. "I _need_ to escort you back to him. It was a direct order." Starrk personally was actually also extremely groggy and wanting this to be over already so that he could go back to his couch and lay down.

 

            "Don't fucking touch me. You don’t _need_ to do anything he says. Have you lost your balls? Do you just do everything that he says? Why don’t ya tell him I already got out and you couldn't find me."

 

            Starrk didn’t seem amused by the first few things Grimmjow had to say but he was too lazy to call out every unsavory thing which the sexta Espada rattled off. "Why would I lie for you?"

 

            "Because you'll be eating your own tongue if ya grab me again and it’s stupid that you’re just doing this for Aizen. I told you, I ain't comin' back so it's not like he'll know anything once I get far enough away. So, lie to cover your ass because I ain't lettin' ya take me back to 'im." And Grimmjow meant it.

 

            He could see the burning determination in Grimmjow’s eyes as facts were reinforced; this was going to be a pain in the ass. That was not something which he wanted. Starrk huffed out air and scratched the back of his neck. As long as this didn’t come back to bite him…letting Grimmjow go was the quickest way to deal with this situation. "Then you better not come back here if you know what's good for you. If you do perhaps I'll finish you off then drop your corpse in the desert to be buried in sand or eaten and forgotten...remember that. I don't wanna get caught disobeying an order," he warned.

 

            Without the show of gratitude due Grimmjow seemed to accept the offer for his freedom and turned, running for the door. Starrk was already walking off when he'd pushed the heavy thing far enough to squeeze through to the outside. As it was and always would be, one Espada's business was his or her own, another Espada could care less... Grimmjow didn't bother closing the door and broke out into a sprint across the sands of Hueco Mundo. Why him...there were so many others to choose from...why the fuck did he have to be the one singled out? He didn’t want anyone else to know…


	2. Determination and the Snow Quip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: n/a

Second Segment

_"Determination and the Snow Quip!"_

 

_[Night-time in a park in the world of the living...]_

            "Awww come on Karin! It's not here...I'm cold..." Kon, in Ichigo's human body, grumbled. He received a solid whack on the head from her brother. "Ichigoooo..."

 

            "Shut it." The substitute shinigami barked, "We're all freezing, but we're not leaving until we find Yuzu's necklace." Being in his soul reaper body Ichigo actually wasn't as vulnerable to the temperature, but his determined self didn't make mention of that.

 

            "We could look tomorrow...when there's sunlight- oooowww!" Another whack to the head. Kon rubbed the spot with his numb hands. "My gloves are soaked and there's at least a foot of snow on the ground..."

 

            Karin straitened her back and put her hands on both hips, growling in Kon's general direction while Ichigo trekked through the white powder ignoring any further whining the best he could.

 

            "What?!" Kon begged noticing the girl's hostile look, "We're all going to catch colds!" He mocked a sneeze and Karin started up a storm of fussing about how inconsiderate he could be at times.

 

            Ichigo, far enough away from them to only hear muffled sounds, kept walking across the field in search of the tiny pendant on a gold chain. He'd picked it up today when he'd gone to Soul Society. It was Yuzu's Christmas present. Too bad a group of hollows had shown up on his way home. While fighting them it had fallen out of his pocket and into the snow somewhere in the park. He hadn't had time to see where it fell and snow had begun to fall again by the time he'd raced home to get Karin and Kon to help him look for it. The white flakes were piling up more and more, how would he ever find such a tiny thing in all of this? The orange haired shinigami sighed, he probably wouldn't find it in time for the holiday. If the snow ever melted it'd be right there on the grass but that could take months, in the Spring-time.

 

            "Ichigooooo!" Kon bellowed.

 

            The shinigami turned around quickly, hopeful but crushed when Kon came bounding up to him complaining about the weather again. It was seven o'clock at night, almost fifteen past, and he could tell Karin was about spent. The shinigami looked to Kon. "Alright...we still need food from the store before we can go home though."

 

            "Thaaaaank yooooou! Now please take your body back..." the mod-soul urged.

 

            They gathered in a group on the shoveled sidewalk and Ichigo stepped back into his human body then popped Kon back into his usual plush lion doll. "Damnit! Did you have to _completely_ soak my gloves?!" Ichigo was distressed by this, pulling the wet fabric off of his numb hands. "You could have at least taken them off before giving my body back..." No wonder that idiot Kon was so cold. The rest of Ichigo's clothes, pants halfway up his calves and coat sleeves, were icy with the touch of melted snow as well, and that was to say nothing of his socks and shoes. Glancing at his little sister she was in better shape, only her gloves and boots were wet.

 

            Kon thrust a stuffed paw up at Ichigo's face, "It wasn't my fault! You were the one who wanted us to keep looking!"

 

            "I'm just about to make you walk the rest of the way." Ichigo growled in response.

 

            "Let's go already! If he walks we'll never get back with dinner on time. We still have to walk all the way home." Karin pointed out, scooping up Kon and stuffing him in her bookbag.

 

            The stuffed animal popped his head out through a crack in the zipper and blew a raspberry at Ichigo. He ducked the resulting blow.

 

            Karin suddenly gave her big brother a good whack as he would have given Kon, "Did you even hear me?!"

 

            "Alright, alright. I did," Ichigo insisted, tucking his bare hands under his armpits. The group stopped their quipping entirely and began to make headway along the sidewalk. Onward through the falling snow before they could get any colder! ...and of course to make it to the grocery store before it closed.


	3. No Sleeves. No Heart?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: A bit ‘o violence

Third Segment

_"No Sleeves. No Heart?"_

 

_[At the grocery store...]_

            "Well that's about a fourth of the things we need..."

 

            "Are you serious?!" Ichigo tried to peek at the grocery list in Karin's hand. "How are we supposed to carry all of this home with just two people?! I wish dad would have warned us at least."

 

            "I don't know...if you lend Kon your body then we'd have an extra pair of hands though." Karin took several boxes of band-aids from the shelf and a case of anti-biotic cream and dropped them into her shopping basket on wheels – a shopping cart of sorts.

 

            "I can't do that! Normal people can't see shinigami, you'd be walking next to a floating shopping bag."

 

            "They wouldn't do anything about it."

 

            "Psh..."

 

            "Miss Karin has a point," Kon chimed over the girl's shoulder from his place in the bookbag.

 

            "You! Shush and play dead. If someone sees you talking...that wouldn't go over well either!"

 

            "Don't be such a spaz. People will notice faster." Karin reached up to one of the shelves and took down two boxes, both labeled with a sensitive product name, off that shelf and dropped them into the basket with the rest of their items...

 

            Ichigo blinked a few times, allowing Karin's statement to stew, then rapidly changed the subject when he’d had a chance to read the labeling of those boxes. "Umm...why'd you pick those up?"

 

            "Condoms? They were on the list." She was leading them through the aisles and continuing to collect items written on the long scrap of paper indiscriminately. Kon was helping by crossing off the items’ names with a marker.

 

            "On the list my ass..." Ichigo snatched the paper from Kon, who protested avidly until reminded he better stay quiet. Condoms were written on the list; one box of a specific kind and size and the other for a box of assorted sizes. You had to be kidding… "No way...these have to be for dad…ugh." Ichigo shuddered at the thought as he discontinued it, handing the list back to Kon.

 

            They had moved on to the next aisle but that hadn't calmed Ichigo's flustered protest. Not even phased by this, Karin dropped a can of something festive into the basket, "Actually one of the boxes is supposed to be for you. Dad said something about ‘youth health awareness month’ or something like that. He’s a doctor, what do you expect?"

 

            “And he didn’t bother you with it?” Ichigo griped comparatively.

 

            “He gave Yuzu and me a can of pepper spray each if that doesn’t say enough.”

 

            “This isn’t fair. I’m nineteen! I can decide for myself if I need things like this. Geeze…what was dad thinking?”

 

            Karin stared at her brother for a second and then rolled her eyes, continuing to push their shopping cart.

 

            Ichigo was too agitated to say quiet for long. "I don't need them! Go put them back!"

 

            "Pipe down...it’s not such a big deal. If you don't want them go put them back yourself." Karin stopped moving to give Ichigo the chance.

 

            The orange haired and overly-embarrassed young man snatched the extra box of condoms from the basket - the assorted ones. He didn't have a girlfriend or anything close! His dad knew that…or at least he thought Isshin understood that. He didn’t need these! This was probably just his dad’s stupid way of encouraging him to grow as a man. What an idiotic tactic.

 

            "Kurosaki-kun!" a sweet voice ahead of them rang out.

 

            Ichigo stiffened at the voice and a dark blush set in across his face once he noticed one of his school friends, Orihime Inoue, walking right up to the front of Karin’s shopping cart. She was waving and smiling warmly.

 

            "Oh how wonderful! You're helping out grocery shopping too, aren't you?" The long-haired girl vaguely pointed at the box in Ichigo's hand. Orihime’s smile endured; it was so wonderful to watch families and siblings working together for their households.

 

            Before Orihime could notice that it was a box of _condoms_ which he had in one hand Ichigo tossed them back in the basket face-down and put another random product on top of them very smoothly. "Heh, yea..." The blush began to fade from his cheeks. Whew that was close…

 

            Holiday meats, spices, juices, cereal, toiletries, and a whole other slew of things were on their list. Karin, Kon, and Ichigo had plenty left to find and Orihime was wonderful company so they all walked together for another many aisles until Kon had announced they'd found the last item on the paper. Orihime, who had been gathering the things that she needed in her handheld basket as they went along, still had to keep looking around the store for the last few things which she needed so she bid the Kurosaki siblings and Kon farewell and went on her way. It had been a bit of fun shopping together! At the register Ichigo helped the clerk bag the groceries, making sure they were double bagged. It would be disastrous if on their way home one of those paper bags ripped. Fortunately, these bags weren’t plastic, they were papery without handles, sturdier but harder to carry. They got away from the counter, barely able to manage carrying four full bags each.

 

            "C'mon Ichigo can't you hold one more? My arms don't reach." Karin frowned over the crinkle of the grocery bags and her big brother sighed. She was genuinely struggling, but so was he.

 

            "If the car was fixed we wouldn't be in this mess...I guess I'll have to let Kon borrow my body after all. I should have asked Orihime if she was able to lend a hand…" Allowing Kon to assist would be better than dropping all of those items on the snowy sidewalk but the idea of walking beside a floating shopping bag still didn't please him. Not to mention, if that excitable dummy dropped one of the bags they would be no better off. "Kon...I swear you better be car-"

 

            "Kurosaki-kun!" a familiar voice chirped from behind them, and Orihime came bounding over.

 

            Karin smiled, "Look at that, we finished shopping at about the same time!"

 

            “Uh huh!” Orihime smiled, nodding. “I actually hurried a little because I thought I might see you two on the way out if I did.”

 

            Karin laughed, choking up her awkward hold on the grocery bags which she held, “Hey Orihime, did you drive here perchance?”

 

            "No, I was dropped off." The long-haired girl set down the single paper bag and took a deep breath, stretching her back. "I was all out of chocolate and shrimp and some other things and figured this would be the perfect day to get more!"

 

            Ichigo looked at Karin and Karin at Ichigo, then back to Orihime. Shrimp and chocolate...one of her less bizarre recipes. Then again couldn't most things be dipped in chocolate and taste just fine? "So…is someone coming to pick you up?" Karin continued.

 

            "Nope, I'm walking." From a distance she inspected the plentiful amount of groceries her friends had. She realized why they were asking. "Oh! Would you like my help? That's too many bags for just two people to carry... They look heavy."

 

            "Yes." Karin answered before Ichigo could blink. Soon all three were outside. Kon was asleep in Karin's bookbag.

 

            Once outside a cold gust of wind rushed through Orihime’s long orange hair and rustled Ichigo’s and Karin’s hair as well. It left their faces all a bit colder and blew falling snow toward them which caught in their hair and clothes. "Oh wow...the wind really has picked up." Squinting into the snow, Orihime was standing on Ichigo's left.

 

            "You're right. And it's snowing so much more." Karin was on Ichigo's right.

 

            Both girls were already using him as a heat source and they weren't even three feet from the store's entrance. His clothes had dried off a little since going into the store but Ichigo could _definitely_ tell the difference between dry spots on his clothing and damp ones once they were back outside again. Brrr! "Walking seems like a bad idea. We should call Chad or Ishida to help us get home," Ichigo remarked.

 

            "Brrrr!" Orihime shivered and huddled closer to Ichigo, clutching tighter to the paper bags she had in her arms. “I don’t think they’re available tonight.”

 

            Ichigo sighed, “Oh well.” Now what?

 

            Karin wasn't listening to her big brother or Orihime, it took the others only a few seconds to notice why. A fight! A violent scrap between several men was in progress a few yards from their small grocery-toting group just beside the storefront.

 

            Orihime gasped when she saw one man hammer a fist against another through the obscuring snow.

 

            Quickly Ichigo set down his grocery bags on a dry section of pavement and charged toward the scene after watching them for a discerning moment or two. At first glance it really seemed like just a few guys being guys, but it was actually a fight…and it was three against one; that was not very fair in Ichigo's opinion. "Hey!" Ichigo leapt on the back of a tall brunette who was part of the majority and covered his eyes, tugging him back from the four-man fight.

 

            As soon as they were away from the others, that lone man who was fighting off the remaining two attackers really jumped into action since he was now freed from that brunette's grasp. This man who’d been ganged up on slugged one guy and kicked the other in the knee in almost the same fluid gesture; he didn’t hold back. Both attackers fell almost at the same time groaning in pain with the crunch of snow and ice below their bodies.

 

            Meanwhile Ichigo was grappling with a much bigger guy, trying to put him into a chokehold from behind but his opponent's limbs kept pushing his arm away and Ichigo's bare hands were too numb to hold on.

 

            The man who had put down two of the three that had ganged up on him saw what was going on with the person who’d come to his aid and stomped over.

 

            Both of these strangers had to be at least six feet tall or more; they were giants but Ichigo wasn’t afraid. "Haagh!" Unexpectedly Ichigo was elbowed in the face by the brunette trying to shake him. Ichigo’s vision blurred as he dropped off of the stranger’s back and stumbled backward with an ache in his head. Karin and Orihime yelled and in turn Ichigo gestured for them to stay back where they were. If too many people got involved this would be worse. Ichigo's eyes refocused on the matter at hand; a vengeful figure was stomping toward the brunette who’d just elbowed him.

 

            The vengeful man who’d been ganged up on emerged from the heavy driven snow like a shadow, swift and elusive, and planted one foot solidly as he wound up for a powerful strike toward his opponent. This blow was stealthy and perfect...and unrestrained... It bashed the brunette in one kidney.

 

            The kidney shot was so hard that, with a groan of pain, the brunette lost his footing, slipping on the snow, and tumbled over into an agonizing heap.

_'Woah...'_ Ichigo thought to himself, rubbing his cheek that had been struck. The giant went down hard on his back in the slushy ice and snow. Job well done he supposed, looking at the fallen man... Now all three attackers were out of play and hopefully no one in the store had called the police.

 

            Looking up, the man who'd been ganged up on stood, looming ominously, in the flurry of pelting snow with fists clenched at his sides.

 

            Not sensing that the man was about to attack him, Ichigo relaxed and tucked both hands under his armpits to warm them. "You should be more careful about where you pick fights!" he warned and got no response. Ichigo tried inspecting the person he'd helped. The snow was a large inhibitor for sight right now though. All he could really see were vague shapes and colors. This person was certainly no youth though, Ichigo could barely tell through the heavy falling snow but his stature was too mature. Boldly, Ichigo moved a step closer to see better. Snow and ice crunched under his shoes. Ichigo could see the man a bit better now. This guy was an idiot though! He was wearing nothing over his torso but a t-shirt! "You should really be more careful... Aren't you cold?" Ichigo could make out the rest of the man’s clothing from here. From the bloodied knee and torn hole in the man's thick jeans Ichigo's eyes traveled up to the hatted head, which the man had opted to avert so they weren’t looking eye to eye. A tight beanie, colored grey like the man’s t-shirt, was covering the man’s head. Ichigo realized that this guy hadn't the slightest intention of answering back, in fact just now the man stuffed his hands in his pockets and was about to walk away. "Hey! Don't run off! You're going to freeze being out in this weather dressed like that."

 

            Orihime came over to them, stepping over the perhaps unconscious brunette and walking after the man who was walking away from them. "Please wait! If you don't have a coat-" Orihime had moved closer than Ichigo to the silent stranger and was given a much better glimpse of him through the heavy driven snow as he’d looked back only briefly to see who was coming up behind him. "Oooh..!" she breathily gasped, grip loosening on the shopping bags she carried as a large puffy cloud of warm air escaped from her when she gasped.

 

            Ichigo heard the bags crinkle and his friend’s soft gasp of surprise and moved up to make sure that Orihime was alright. "What's wrong Inoue?" She gazed straight ahead at the man through the snow.

 

            "That's..." Orihime started to say…

 

            Ichigo looked closer. Vivid blue eyes lit the white snow floating around them; those eyes may as well have drowned Ichigo because his whole world turned a cruel oceanic blue. Ichigo ushered Orihime back in Karin's direction and stood protectively in front of the two girls. "What're you doing here, _Grimmjow_?" Ichigo asked warily.

 

            The Espada stood silently for a moment longer then shrugged and fully turned his back on the human.

 

            "I'm not finished talking to you!" Ichigo strode forward and clapped a hand down on the Espada's shoulder.

 

            As an almost instant reaction Grimmjow whirled, grabbing Ichigo's wrist and threatening to break it. "Don't touch me, whelp."

 

            Ichigo winced. Grimmjow’s hand was ice cold...wait...did hollows even feel cold? In his shinigami form Ichigo barely felt the chill of winter air, and arrancar were partially shinigami. Still...what kind of idiot wears a short sleeved shirt in winter? He could feel Grimmjow shivering as he held fast with the threatening grip. "A-Aren't you cold?"

 

            Grimmjow relinquished his grasp, shoving Ichigo’s hand away. "Nope," and both of his own hands were jammed back into his jeans' pockets.

 

            " Grimmjow-san," Orihime cooed as she stepped forward again. "You're hurt. We can help." The Espada seemed like he might need some help.

 

            "I don't want help from you worms." The icy blue eyes seemed to hiss with the puffs of warm air escaping his body. A very strong indication of just how much bodily heat was actually escaping him.

 

            "Bu-"

 

            "Leave him, Inoue. If he wants to act like he has a stick up his ass let him." Ichigo glared.

 

            Grimmjow gritted his teeth and quickly encroached on Ichigo's personal space with a snarled remark, "Fuck you shinigami. You messed up my fight."

 

            Orihime remained quiet for the moment and wiggled her chin down into her scarf a little more snuggly.

 

            "I helped you!" Ichigo barked back.

 

            "I didn't ask for any help!"

 

            While both of the guys were in each other's faces arguing only the sweet coo of Orihime's voice speaking up again could distract them. "Why were those men you fought able to see you? Normal humans can’t tell if a hollow is present usually."

 

            Grimmjow raised the shirt over his stomach and grumbled, "Do I look like a hollow right now, dipshit?" He certainly didn't, there was no hole in his stomach.

 

            For the first time since they had recognized the Espada both Ichigo and Inoue came to realize that he didn't have the usual cracked mask plastered to his face either. Breaking from the stun of that realization first Ichigo asserted, "I don’t care what your deal is, Grimmjow, don't you call Inoue that."

 

            "What? 'Dipshit'?" Grimmjow mocked back.

 

            Orihime said nothing. She knew what a frustrated person could be like and it would do no good to lash out like Ichigo was doing. She just waited for their anger to burn out or Ichigo to get a hold of himself.

 

            Ichigo frowned very deeply. How dare Grimmjow come into their world to brawl and insult them when offered help. "Forget this, let's go. I don't care if you freeze. Your heart's already stone cold." Ichigo led a reluctant Orihime along with a gently guiding hand behind her back and they walked back to Karin.

 

            As his would-be enemy turned away there was a growing empty sensation which reignited in the Espada, like a cold flame. It burned low. Grimmjow didn’t move a muscle save for his mouth, "Doesn't matter. I don't have one."

 

            Frustrated and remembering just how freezing cold he was after the adrenaline had died down, Ichigo shot the shivering figure a look stewed in annoyance.

 

            The winter wind felt like razors whirling against his skin. Stationary in his place, he calmly watched Ichigo look back. Grimmjow had never been _this_ cold in his entire afterlife; he needed to get going at least, the friction from the fight was all gone and he sensed if he didn't find warmth or somewhere to wait out this snowstorm he might regret it. Grimmjow once again turned his back to the group.

 

            Recent words echoed in Ichigo's head as he glared with annoyance. It was a thing about hollows…they were ‘hollow’ inside – hence the name. They lacked things. An Espada wasn’t an exception. Grimmjow really didn't have a heart to be stone cold – or so he said – and Ichigo started to feel guilty for accusing him of being a cold bastard. Suppose he’d had as rough of an existence as Grimmjow did…he’d probably be that aggressive and short with people too. Ichigo left Karin and Orihime’s sides to catch Grimmjow before the shivering Espada could get away; Ichigo grabbed the man’s arm to stop him. "What are you _really_ doing out here, Grimmjow?"

 

            Grimmjow evaded the question. "I warned ya not to touch me." Though he didn't jerk his arm away; Ichigo's hand was so much warmer than his skin, it was surprising because the contact burned. He also didn’t strike at Ichigo. They just stood there.

 

            "If you walk with us and help carry these shopping bags you can warm up at my house in exchange." Hopefully Isshin wouldn't object to that, if the old man was even still awake when their group reached the house. Still feeling a bit guilty over his cold remark, Ichigo felt it was important to offer this even though he was wary of Grimmjow.

 

            "First off, why would I want to be anywhere near a stinking shinigami, and second why the fuck would I help you?" That hand was still there, he didn't mind if it stayed against his arm just a little while longer.

 

            "Because it gets you something that you need in return. Is it a deal?"

 

            "And what do I need from a stupid shinigami?"

 

            Now Grimmjow was just being a smartass intentionally. The Espada couldn’t possibly be _this_ ignorant. "You need to stay warm! This body you are using is clearly more human and if you wander around like this its health is not going to hold up against the weather." Moving his hand, Ichigo tugged one of the t-shirt’s short sleeves, discovering its frayed edge. The sleeves on this shirt had probably been cut or torn off. “Did you tear the long sleeves off of this shirt?”

 

            This time Grimmjow whacked the hand away, "Tch. Enemies don't help each other. And so what if I tore the sleeves off?" As if this shinigami whelp he never seemed to be able to topple off of his high-horse really cared if he survived this weather. “My arms didn’t fit through the fucking sleeves.”

 

            "… We're also not enemies unless you're threatening my world."

 

            "I very easily could."

 

            "You're not."

 

            "That doesn't matter. I could fuck you up and your little friends right here and right now!" _'If my body wasn't so damn stiff... No wonder these humans die one after another, their skin's fucking thin.'_

 

            “And you’re not.” Ichigo heard Inoue and Karin calling to them. He had to hurry up for their sakes. Arguing probably wasn't going to get Grimmjow to listen. Ichigo took off his coat, he had a sweater on underneath. It was just too bad that Grimmjow got to see that the sweater had a puppy printed on the front with a red and fuzzy cap on its head. Ichigo shoved the coat into Grimmjow's arms.

 

            Grimmjow snorted at the ridiculously baggy and decorated sweater and awkwardly held onto the coat. "What the heck is this? Don't you humans have some rule about not accepting charity from weirdos."

 

            Ichigo quirked a brow, "It’s a coat, and what the hell makes you think we're weirdos?"

 

            "I dunno. Could be that bad looking shirt you have on," he jeered.

 

            Ichigo’s expression flattened. "Just put the damn coat on, asshole."

 

            Grimmjow did put the coat on.

 

            Ichigo was surprised how quietly that happened. “There. Now are you coming with us?”

 

            “I’m not going to hunt you down later to give your coat back.”

 

            Ichigo huffed out a long sigh, “Is that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, Grimmjow?”

 

            “What do you fucking think?”

 

            Ichigo grumbled tromping back toward Orihime and Karin followed by Grimmjow. As soon as it looked like the group was moving off the attackers of earlier drug themselves up and ran off. Ichigo and Grimmjow both noticed the three men hightailing it; they left them alone. It was a little strange that Grimmjow hadn’t been able to pound the three of them into the ground on his own… Such a thought lodged itself in the back of Ichigo’s mind. To Grimmjow, who griped for the first ten minutes of their walk about how stupid this made him look, three of the heavier bags of groceries were given. Karin now walked next to Orihime and Orihime next to Ichigo. Grimmjow lingered a few steps behind all of them, turning his face away from every person they passed. Ichigo noticed that behavior over his shoulder.

 

            Not only was Grimmjow trying to avoid human company but also their conversation, which had the chain in front of him laughing. He didn’t want to admit it but he was too cold to move his legs much faster. Feeling feeble and annoyed, because his hollow body could handle a sub-zero stroll as though it was a walk on a sunny day through a field of daisies, Grimmjow had been miserably grappling with the constant reminder that he was _stuck_ using this 'gigai' because he couldn't figure out how to take it off. …and because he couldn’t use his hollow body right now. Thus, the miserable Espada was keeping to himself. These humans could tell his attitude was sour, but he didn’t have to tell them why. It was none of their fucking business. Heaven and hell would be over-turned before he'd ever confess his personal feelings. There was an even slimmer of a chance that he'd chit-chat with a gaggle of humans, so he distanced himself…

 

            "Grimmjow."

 

            An interruption of his private thoughts... "What?!" The Espada snapped.

 

            Annoyed by being snapped at, Ichigo immediately frowned. He took a moment, remembering that they were trying to do this guy some good, and flattened out his expression fairly, "You can come up here and walk with us."

 

            "No thanks."

 

            Ichigo watched Grimmjow glare at him. The glare didn’t subside so the young man didn’t ask again. They all continued on their way in their preferred positions, but it took a glance over his shoulder every now and again to see if Grimmjow was still following along because the Espada was being so damn quiet back there.


	4. Frostbite is For Idiots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: n/a

Fourth Segment

_"Frostbite is For Idiots"_

 

            A few miles walk in heavy snow, not pleasant but at least they weren't bare-foot and walking to school as one version of that saying went... Orihime, Karin, Ichigo, Kon, and Grimmjow all reached the Kurosaki residence by a late eight-thirty that evening. Their timing wasn’t half-bad considering the snow blustering and freezing cold weather.

 

            Ichigo stood, balancing groceries to get the front door open with his key. "Damn the deadbolt's locked from the inside and I don’t have the key for it. We might have to go in through the garage." Ichigo, Karin, and Orihime were all ready to march around the house to the double car garage. Everyone but Grimmjow.

 

            Holding the bags with one strong arm he grabbed the closest shoulder to him, Orihime's. The girl yelped so loud he thought he'd broken one of her bones. From further away Ichigo's glowering attention snapped to the scene. Grimmjow's hand rapidly retreated... _'Geeze, why'd she have to go and bellow like that?'_

 

            Orihime noticed the alarm in Grimmjow’s features immediately. "I'm so sorry! You scared me, Grimmjow-san." She chuckled nervously, sensing the tension rising between the two boys and hoping to alleviate some of that hostility with her remark.

 

            Grimmjow rolled his eyes and pounded on the front door several times with his bare knuckles. The rest of the group fell eerily silent. Inoue and Karin were rather ashamed, admitting - silently - that they hadn't even considered trying to knock, whereas Ichigo was panicked. What was with these humans? In Las Noches there weren't key locks or even deadbolts on doors, everyone just knocked for permission to enter a room. If no one answered then it was time to give up or find another way in. Was it really that easy to forget something so basic? Coolly Grimmjow leaned up against the side of the house, still holding the paper bags and feeling satisfied with this coat trapping his body heat. Now they awaited the result of his ingenious knocking technique.

 

            There was actually a _reason_ that Ichigo hadn't rapped on the door himself. He would have rather discretely brought Grimmjow into the house. If his father Isshin answered the door and realized that his son had brought a serious threat directly to their home there might be a minor conflict in the future. The door swept open within the same minute after the knock and Ichigo could hardly stomach to watch until Yuzu's soft voice filled him with a second wind.

 

            "Wow! There are so many people. Onii-chan, will they have dinner with us tonight?!" Yuzu _loved_ to cook for other people. The adorable young girl beamed watching as each person filed into the house. She went straight to Karin after the door was shut and took one of the crinkly paper bags to carry away to the kitchen.

 

            After discarding their dampened shoes Orihime and Karin took after Yuzu through the living room with their bags to deposit them in the kitchen as well.

 

            Grimmjow observed them all with slight confusion. They'd all taken off their shoes _then_ run into the house. Why should shoes matter? The arrancar wore them all around Los Noches, a palace, and this was just a common house.

 

            Ichigo drew the man’s attention by lifting the heavy shopping bags from Grimmjow’s arms without warning. "You take your shoes off and leave them here." Ichigo pointed to the area of stone flooring which they were currently standing on. This stone landing was purposed for exactly that, which was why it was before the wooden flooring leading into the rest of the house started. "It keeps the floors clean and smooth."

 

            "Humans..." Grimmjow untied and kicked off his soaked high-tops, no socks were underneath.

 

            Ichigo watched a little curious as to how Grimmjow could even dress himself without remembering socks…and why the Espada was even wearing human clothes to begin with. "Who gave you that gigai, your body?" Ichigo assumed that's what Grimmjow was using to appear human.

 

            Oh right...that was what this suit was called. “Hat 'n clogs, a blonde guy with a green and white striped hat and some moronic looking wooden clogs.” Grimmjow didn’t seem to be sensitive to the way he referred to other people. “That guy dropped your name a couple of times while I was there, but I can't remember his.”

 

            "Oh, wow... That's Urahara Kisuke. I didn't think he would help any hollows besides the Vizards-" Ichigo caught a glimpse of Grimmjow's disapproving expression from that remark. "So...did Urahara forget to give you a coat and socks or what?"

 

            "Huh?"

 

            "A coat, like this one that I gave you to wear back at the store. Socks, like these." Ichigo rocked on his heels, indicating the white cloth that covered each of them.

 

            "I know what a coat and socks are, dipshit. I didn't wanna carry 'em."

 

            Now Ichigo was beginning to believe that Grimmjow was a bit dense. The young man’s expression flattened. "Then you just accepted my coat because you know better now, huh?"

 

            "Nope."

 

            Alright...he was very dense. "Then let me guess. You liked the color? Is that it?"

 

            Grimmjow didn't take kindly to being teased, "Ya wanna pick your teeth up off the floor? Keep talkin'." He yanked off the coat and threw it at Ichigo, who caught the garment on top of the shopping bags easily enough.

 

            "It really rubs me the wrong way that you'd say that to someone who saved your ass."

 

            “Gonna try lording that over my head now, whelp? Screw you.”

 

            “Why are you so sensitive all of the sudden? If you can’t take it maybe you shouldn’t dish it out.”

 

            “Fuck this. I'm fuckin' outta here.” Grimmjow snatched up his wet shoes and at this moment's notice headed for the door.

 

            Ichigo handed off the grocery bags to his sisters who had come back for them. With a short glance at Grimmjow, who seemed to be leaving, the girls paid the man little mind and scurried off with the groceries. "Grimmjow..." Ichigo growled, as if to stall the towering individual from making an exit.

 

            The Espada took hold of the door latch and pressed the lever down. "I'm gone. I ain't gonna stay somewhere that I get mocked and dictated to."

 

            "You're too dense for your own damn good!" Ichigo felt a blast of winter air when the door was opened again.

 

            "GONE!" Grimmjow snapped, finalizing his departure. He was a step out the door when another voice joined Ichigo's.

 

            "Get back in here you stubborn idiot."

 

            The Espada whirled to see who dared to continue insulting him. It was unfortunate, his nature of being unable to pass up a confrontation. Grimmjow caught sight of the man of the house standing confidently in fluffy slippers and sweats just beside Ichigo. "Stay outta this old man, unless you want all _your_ teeth knocked out next."

 

            "For an idiot like you I'm prescribing more original threats and a warm soak. If you go back out there all you'll be doing is wallowing in your own misery, that is if you don't freeze to death first."

 

            Grimmjow could tell that the two of them were related, and just by the mature appearance that this was probably Ichigo’s parent. "Now I see where that little shit gets his irritating mouth from. Look pops, you aren't my superior and you don't have me convinced so just leave off. Humans and shinigami are weak, I am _not_."

 

            Isshin interjected with strict fact, "You're in a human-like body, unfamiliar territory to an arrancar, so allow me an elaboration of how it will handle the temperature outside. I’m a doctor and qualified to explain. Now, if you go back out there in these zero-degree temperatures you'll experience something humans call 'hypothermia'. Hypothermia means you will lose more bodily heat than you can produce. The mobility in your hands and feet will disappear first because your human circulatory system is more concerned with keeping the trunk of your body and your brain functioning than those extremities. Eventually the rest of your skin will give up the essential heat it retains as your blood flow slows because of your veins contracting. After that you will have something impermanent to deal with called ‘frostnip’, with which you will feel numb and your skin will redden or shift to another unhealthy color. However, the next issue is called 'frostbite', and after it's finished freezing your cold skin it'll move into your thick musculature and so on. The damage from this is usually severe, painful, and permanent. On a night like this there won't be many people walking around outside so I hope you can find another warm house to sleep in. It's either that, forfeit a few limbs and possibly your life, or stay here."

 

            Grimmjow's mood turned sober as he listened and scowled at the grim warning. He was shivering standing by the open door… The fact that the wind alone was making him shiver made Grimmjow angry under the skin, but he was surprisingly tuned-in to what this man had to say and remained quiet and calm.

 

            Isshin continued the talk while Ichigo ultimately left the hopeless argument to his reasonably well-tempered father. "So while you stand there pouting and considering the offer of warmth, which every creature needs believe it or not, think about what's worth suffering over."

 

            "Are you trying to put words in my mouth, old man?" Grimmjow growled.

 

            "More like thoughts in your head. Now if you're going to stay or take a while to think it over I'd appreciate if you closed the front door. You're letting a great deal of the heat out of my house." The phrase 'my house' carried an authoritative vibe. Isshin was the man of the house after all. “I don’t want my family to get cold.”

 

            Begrudging the grown man’s sound confidence and profound words, Grimmjow stepped back into the house and shut the door behind him.

 

            "If you’re keen on staying you can leave your shoes on the landing and I'd like to take a look at that nasty abrasion on your knee if you feel up to it," Isshin offered. He was, in part, amazed that this talk had engaged Grimmjow's listening and prevented a brash choice on the other man’s part. It was pleasing to be victorious in a nonviolent manner.

 

            "I lick my own wounds just fine," the Espada refuted quickly and coldly. To Grimmjow 'humility' and 'humiliation' sounded similar for a reason.


	5. Wish Him Away...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: grouchy Ichigo, nudity  
> Secondary disclaimers:  
> I do not hold any ownership of the 'Grinch' (the term and character) nor do I profit from its mention.

Fifth Segment

_"Wish Him Away…"_

 

            Isshin shrugged at the dismissal of his offered aid and, taking Ichigo's coat, now left his son alone with the temporarily even-tempered stranger.

 

            Ichigo's hazel eyes followed his father as Isshin walked away, around the corner of the house’s landing toward the living room...no doubt off to pester the girls while they unpacked the food they'd all brought home. Staring off into space toward the direction that Isshin had gone Ichigo was not expectant to hear Grimmjow speak up.

 

            "Your old man has a weird nice streak." Grimmjow carelessly dropped his shoes beside the other pairs and stepped up onto the wooden floor with his bare feet. Either foot made a hollow 'thunk' as they stepped up.

 

            Ichigo felt rather dwarfed beside the Espada as he had to look up to address the brute's comment. Once upon a time, Ichigo had sized up Grimmjow - the first time they'd fought. It had been difficult to get a good read on just how tall the Espada was among other things. There were more important things to pay attention to at the time, like the sharp side of a sword swiping at him left and right. Now Ichigo came to a revised conclusion about the sexta Espada: Grimmjow was both a voracious fighter and a sequoia. "Yeah... He rarely acts his age, but he cares about people." Given the time to compose himself, by the time it had taken his father to speak with Grimmjow, Ichigo had thankfully misplaced his cross temperament. "Look... I'm not trying to be a jerk..." he began, leaving his own shoes and stepping up onto the wooden flooring. "...but..." He walked with toward the dimly lit living room and Grimmjow followed silently. That statement was left hanging and unfinished... From a place behind the largest couch in the living room, where he stopped, Ichigo listened to the lively gathering in the kitchen with a smile. A few minutes later he realized that this gazing off into the distance in the middle of a conversation was rude. Turning his head in the opposite direction the human caught the Espada with a strange look on his face.

 

            The 'almost' smile quickly vanished when Grimmjow detected Ichigo's stare, "Who the fuck do you think you're starin' at like that?"

 

            Ichigo blinked and shook his head, ditching anything he was considering. "Sheesh. Certainly not you." With frustration rattling him Ichigo moved away from Grimmjow and wandered into the buzzing kitchen. It was good that Grimmjow didn’t try to follow him.

 

            Orihime and Yuzu had skillets out and were boiling one large pot of water. Karin was cutting vegetables and herbs into appropriate sizes on a thick plastic cutting-board. Then there was Ichigo's father, he was cheerleading...or 'supervising' as would be a more dignified term for his goofy behavior.

 

            Though distracted by the kitchen's goings on, Isshin did not miss his son's entrance. A curious Ichigo walked closer to them just to glimpse what was cooking and moved within arms’ reach of his father. Isshin nabbed his son's shoulder and, yapping about grabbing more ingredients, hustled his son into the tiny room that functioned as their pantry by the kitchen. “We’ll be right by my darling daughters and Orihime!” The black-haired man jerked the string that turned on the sole dangling light in this cramped space and swiftly shut the door with a ‘clack’.

 

            Karin glanced at the door, “Oh brother…” She rolled her eyes.

 

            Awkwardly stuffed into the pantry Isshin’s eyes darted to Ichigo and assumed a stern stare. "I want to know exactly _what_ possessed Kisuke to make a gigai for an _Espada_ ," he began insistently.

 

            A bit dumbfounded that his father was being so direct and knowledgeable all at once Ichigo cleared his throat and frowned. "I have no idea..." Ichigo defended, leaning against some shelves.

 

            "You mean _you_ didn't take him to see Kisuke?"

 

            "No."

 

            "Then did Inoue, bless her caring heart?"

 

            "No, Dad! None of us would do that. Grimmjow must've found the geezer on his own. Maybe they ran into each other."

 

            "That's very unlikely."

 

            "Not if Grimmjow came here without a gigai. His spiritual pressure is insane, Urahara might've sensed it and been looking for the source. After all an unfamiliarly large reiatsu is typically taken as a threat." Ichigo crossed his arms and eyed a box of crackers on one of the pantry shelves to his right for no other reason than not to look his dad in the eye. This cramped space really made conversation awkward!

 

            Isshin scratched at one of his side-burns, "Well, I suppose that could have been what happened, but then why would he provide a gigai for an enemy like that?" His son didn't answer so Isshin tried to reason through this. "I'll just call him and ask, hopefully he's at home and awake at this hour..."

 

            "How can you just assume it wasn't a gigai that Aizen made, or even someone else?" Ichigo grumbled.

 

            "I know Kisuke-san's work when I see it... He crafts the _most_ intricate and durable fake bodies of anyone. That man's body- Rather, Grimmjow's body is also masking every shred of his reiatsu, as well as having assumed a realistic appearance that is both human and distinctly like his arrancar self, am I right?" Isshin's son's eyes rolled over as the young man agreed with a nod and a frown. "Kisuke-san was the one who created the reiatsu masking gigai. I'll still call him to confirm if it was indeed his work. So, try to relax a bit, the man's more responsible than he seems."

 

            "Grimmjow or the geezer?"

 

            "Ichigo... Stop it," Isshin warned.

 

            Ichigo pushed past his father to the pantry door. Already he was sick of being cramped in this closet with facts that his father shoved in his face about the grouch they were putting up with and the man who had enabled the same grouch to be here.

 

            "Son," Isshin asserted up before Ichigo could open the door, "let him take a bath or shower in the upstairs bathroom, and find him some fresh clothes too, alright?"

 

            "Daaad..." Ichigo whined. He was all for helping Grimmjow stay warm but that was more than enough generosity. It wasn't like the especially tough sexta Espada needed to be nursed back to health...was it? Obviously Grimmjow was doing fine or he wouldn't have been such a dick this whole time. Right?!

 

            Isshin raised his eyebrows at Ichigo expectantly, "I'm sorry, but that wasn't actually a question."

 

            The young man grunted and twisted the door knob to let himself out.

 

            Isshin grabbed a few boxes of food before stepping out himself, "Make sure the girls know he's up there, son. Neither you nor him nor I want any surprise run-ins."

 

            "Fine," Ichigo griped, striding back into the living room with his arms dangling at his sides and a really flat expression on his face. Wow, Ichigo felt so sour about this whole thing...because it was annoying! This whole ‘doing good’ thing had started to become a chore. Heaven forbid that Grimmjow’s bitter attitude was beginning to rub off on him, because it was certainly rubbing Ichigo the wrong way.

 

            In the darkened living room Grimmjow had selected the largest couch to sit on. He’d kicked back with his bare feet up on the coffee table and legs crossed - ankle over ankle. He had his hands laced behind his head and eyes fully closed until he picked up the sound of soft steps approaching across a rug on the floor. The blue eyes cracked open, spotting Ichigo over his shoulder, then shut themselves again. He had nothing to say, but he was sure Ichigo did...

 

            "You should take a shower or something, we've got a bathroom upstairs."

 

            "Is that your nice way of tellin' me that I smell bad?"

 

            "Why are you so bent on assuming I'm trying to be a jerk?" Ichigo threw out some sharp counter-reasoning, "I only thought you might still be cold or whatever after our walk." It was the only excuse he could think of on the spot.

 

            "I’m not still cold. Quite comfortable right here actually." Grimmjow's eyes only opened again when he felt a warm hand touch his forearm. The Espada looked from the hand to its owner before pulling away from the touch. "Do you got some kind of disease that makes it hard to remember shit?"

 

            "No. What're you babbling about?" Ichigo dangled his hand back at his side, he’d actually been trying to feel the man’s skin’s temperature to see if Grimmjow was lying - and Grimmjow wasn’t.

 

            "Good. Then if I tell you _again_ not to touch me you won't forget this time."

 

            Ichigo narrowed his eyes and blew out a puff of air, "Look you can continue with this tough guy routine or you can go take a nice shower and let me find you some clean clothes. It doesn't matter to me." Ichigo faced away and marched to the stairs leading to the floor above. He wound up looking back, but only once; Grimmjow was still sitting and staring at their colorfully lit up and decorated Christmas tree, not him. With that Ichigo continued the march up the stairs and down the hall to his room. The bedroom door swung open and he left it like that. Strolling up to his closet Ichigo rolled back one door.

 

            "Why's there a fucking tree downstairs?"

 

            Ichigo swiftly sucked in a breath to conceal his surprise and partial fright. He didn’t look toward the voice that had startled him.

 

            Grimmjow was leaning up against the room's doorframe, watching Ichigo dig into the closet's stash of garments. "Scared you?" he asked with some sort of cruel amusement.

 

            "Hardly," Ichigo remarked, reaching up into his closet to pull clothes down from a high shelf. "Those trees are popular Christmas decorations."

 

            "Trees like that belong outside, last time I checked. So you _are_ weirdos."

 

            “We are not weirdos! You’re the alien here…” Ichigo yanked down a pile of sweaters and sweatpants. It'd be a miracle if he could find anything that would fit Grimmjow, and he was sincerely looking for something which would fit the man. "When's the last time you've celebrated Christmas?" he scoffed.

 

            "..."

 

            Ichigo briefly sifted through the stack of warm clothing with a disappointed 'urk'. He set the pile down and walked toward his room's doorway where Grimmjow was parked. The Espada hadn’t responded to his question. "Aizen doesn't decorate for that huh?" Ichigo shrugged past Grimmjow, as the Espada didn’t try to move out of his way at all and continued out of the room and down the hall, stopping before the bathroom doorway to wait for the man to tag along. Ichigo stared back at Grimmjow to make it obvious that he was waiting to be followed.

 

            "We don't celebrate stupid things like humans do," Grimmjow derisively corrected, trailing along at his own pace.

 

            With his fingertips spread against the heavy wooden door Ichigo pushed the bathroom door open and reached inside to press the switch to turn on the ornamental overhead lights. "It's not stupid," Ichigo said facing Grimmjow and crossing his arms. "Christmas is a joyfully spirited and cozy time of the year. We celebrate the birth of Christ and our families and friends."

 

            Slipping past the sentimental human Grimmjow ventured into the bathroom and did a full three-sixty scan of the surrounding furnishings. For being a bathroom in a common house it was decently spacious in there and everything was neat, clean, and white... Almost felt like home. "Still sounds stupid to me," he maintained.

 

            "Hmf, you really only say that because you don't have things like that to celebrate-" and at that point Ichigo stopped himself. He kind of wished he could rip out his own tongue for sounding so pompous, but it seemed like a true statement... Altogether the regret started to evaporate when Grimmjow began to laugh.

 

            "Now that was just rich. You really can be cold-blooded when you're backed into a corner, shinigami." Grimmjow's expression was smug, "I still say this Christmas thing is stupid."

 

            Ichigo rolled his eyes and pointed at the bathtub, the shower curtain was still drawn across, "Fine, you think what you want to, Mr. Grinch. Wash up at your _kingly_ leisure and I'll leave clothes out for you in my room. Make sure you walk from here to there with at least a towel on," and with that being, mocking Grimmjow’s desire to be regarded highly, Ichigo curtly shut the bathroom door.

 

            After the faint slam Grimmjow could hear Ichigo's feet all the way down the hall. This brought a smirk to his face; it had been really easy to get the shinigami worked up. Though he wondered, _'What the fuck is a 'grinch'?'_ while hiking-up his shirt and tugging down his jeans. Grimmjow hissed getting the jean material past the large scrape on his knee. Either his mental pain tolerance had gone down or his physical sensitivity to pain had gone up. The proud man refused to assume it was the first possibility. Such a fragile body...it was stupid how these substitute human bodies handled. _'Stupid.'_ Luckily after those garments came off there was nothing left to take off now- except for the beanie he'd almost forgotten about. Grimmjow pulled the hat off and shook his head, blue hair tossing side to side. Leaving all of his clothes on the bathroom's floor he moved toward the tub. Grimmjow pushed back the strange ‘clear-ish’ curtain with colorful fish on it and studied the silver handles on the wall to figure which one he needed to twist for hot water. After discovering how to engage the shower he soon found out that it was a bad idea not to fully pull the curtain across while the shower ran. Water splashed everywhere. "Damnit...!"

 

            Soaking up an unfortunate amount of water from the bathroom floor with a towel he'd snagged off a rack beside the sink Grimmjow glared up at the plastic fish barrier which he probably should be more grateful toward than annoyed with. What moron designed a silly looking barrier like that?! The fact that it looked so silly was just more aggravating. The tall man straightened after the cleanup and hung the sopping towel up to dry on a hook on the back of the bathroom door. While standing there his handsome reflection in a large mirror on the back of the same door snagged his attention. With the shower still running in the background, the Espada scanned the reflection of himself with a close eye.

 

            He saw long legs with heavily defined calves and thighs, one scraped knee, a thickly muscled torso, broad shoulders... Even the hair that he usually had on his arms, legs, underarms, and groin was there. Grimmjow gave himself an approving smirk and proudly raised his chin a bit. He felt like the bloody knee was a nice accent to all of this. Yea that hat and clogs guy sure had hit the bull's-eye with this body even if it was frail. He wondered how the blonde had been so accurate. Grimmjow examined a more sensitive appendage...even his genitals measured up to their usual. That was a little too thorough for comfort though.

 

            Now seeing himself without a gaping hole in his gut, rather with a belly button and filled in section of flesh, was the most bizarre. Grimmjow's fingers moved smoothly over his abdominals around his navel. What was that thing's purpose again...? Oh right, that was the scar humans got when they were born. Something about a cord getting cut off he thought. Hollows didn’t have use for such ties to parent figures but Grimmjow wondered about shinigami with such a cutesy scar. They probably had those. He ruffled the blue tresses that had been bunched up under that beanie for most of today. Steam from the still running shower was making it progressively harder to see himself in the reflective glass though. Out of nowhere a sudden knock came on the bathroom's door and distracted Grimmjow from his reflection. “What?!”

 

            The door opened a crack but no one appeared around its edge, there was only the familiar voice of one orange haired shinigami projected through the gap. "Hey, I forgot to tell you, there are bigger towels in the cupboard under the sink and you can use whatever soap you want," Ichigo mentioned from behind the door. There was no way he would go in there to point out exactly where they were. The thought was awkward, not even irritating, just awkward.

 

            Grimmjow hadn’t budged even as the door was barely opened. "Thanks..." the Espada grumbled back, reaching around the edge of the protective fish curtain to turn the temperature of the water down a bit before he hopped in and stood under it. Couldn't Ichigo just leave him alone for now? It was humiliating enough being helped this much. It had really been an awful few days...

 

            After a hesitation… "Are you going to want dinner?" Ichigo waited for a response but only heard running water in the background. "You're in a human-like body now I guess, so eventually you do need some food to fuel it."

 

            Grimmjow hadn’t gotten in the shower just yet. "I suppose that's the meal you humans eat before you sleep-"

 

            "'Yes' or 'no'?" Ichigo cut in by shortening his question. He didn't like hanging out by the bathroom door while Grimmjow, particularly a presumably naked Grimmjow, was on the other side of it.

 

            "Fine," a growling voice responded.

 

            Ichigo backed away from the door, closing it respectfully, and wandered downstairs to the living room feeling an aggravated gloom that he wished he could get rid of. Ichigo studied the tree that Grimmjow had made fun of and the presents under their festive tree, wrapped in shiny holiday paper. Christmas was a few days away; what if Grimmjow was still here by then? That foul tempered hollow was sure to be a drag on Christmas day with his 'celebrations are stupid' philosophy. Was it terrible to wish someone away? Not bid them ill-will, but just to want them gone... After sighing from the negative thoughts Ichigo felt a hand lay down firmly on his shoulder. He was still standing just in front of the base of the stairs.

 

            "Uh huh. There's no need to come all the way over here in the middle of a blizzard. He's behaving himself." Isshin pointed to their cordless house phone, pressed against his ear when his son looked back at him. "I'll just let you talk to Ichigo, he's the one who brought the arrancar here. Just a second..."

 

            Ichigo heard an excited voice remark 'all right then!' through the device before he thought it would be handed over to him.

 

            Still holding the phone Isshin covered the voice receiver with his hand, he'd seen his son's distant and irked expression when he'd come downstairs and he knew that things were still bothering Ichigo. Those thoughtful brown eyes, even as they shifted constantly, couldn't hide his son’s unhappy attitude. "What're you thinking about, son?"

 

            For a moment the young man considered whether he should at least tell his father that Grimmjow was bugging the daylights out of him, and also that he wanted Grimmjow to leave, but he didn’t feel like he had a good enough reason to back those up. Shouldn't it have been Urahara's responsibility to house the menace he'd enabled? With another sigh, obviously from some exasperation, Ichigo shook his head without relinquishing his opinions. "It doesn't really matter." Ichigo gestured to the cordless phone with a slight nudge of his chin, "Who's that?"


	6. A Due Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: nudity AGAIN

Sixth Segment

_"A Due Explanation"_

 

            Isshin narrowed his charcoal eyebrows, handing over the cordless telephone without further questioning. Ichigo would sort most of this situation out for himself, it just bothered Isshin a little that he couldn’t help his son be more understanding for now. "I'm sure he'll tell you his name if you ask." Then Isshin moseyed back into the kitchen with those absurdly fluffy slippers cushioning his steps. He wouldn't linger and pester this time, so Isshin disappeared into the kitchen swiftly leaving a bit of hope in his wake. Ichigo was a good kid, with a big heart. He really was.

 

            Ichigo waited for his father to completely disappear entirely from sight before speaking into the phone at his ear. "This is Ichigo."

 

            "Aaah Ichigo-san, Kisuke speaking here. I heard that you have taken a certain Espada into your home."

 

            Not so surprised as pleased to hear that Urahara sounded interested in keeping a few tabs on Grimmjow, or so he assumed, the young man replied, "We're just letting him stay for tonight. What's with giving a gigai to an arrancar? That’s dangerous. Moreover, _Grimmjow_ is dangerous and now he can blend in and make trouble. Did you know he was picking a fight when we found him? You made that gigai tailored just for him, didn't you? Why did you do that?!"

 

            Urahara’s head was spinning a little. "Easy there, Ichigo-san. Not so many questions at once. They've all got lengthy and legitimate explanations, I assure you. How is it you guessed that his gigai is one which I made?"

 

            "I- I just assumed at first...and later Grimmjow did mention that he got his body from 'hat and clogs' who knew who I was, and no one else I know fits a description like _that_. You do prefer to market your own inventions though... What did you charge him for something like that? Why does he need a gigai-"

 

            "Oh how telling. So true!" Urahara drawled into cutting Ichigo off just as the young man was setting into the nonstop questioning again. "Jaegerjaquez-san had need of a gigai and I roped him into possibly working for me for a little while to pay for it-"

 

            Now Ichigo cut Urahara off. This was a very pushy conversation… "The last thing this town needs is an Espada who appears human running free anywhere his destructive heart desires. Do you realize that we’ll have to clean up whatever he breaks? Also, how could you send him outside without a coat?! Did you know he didn't even have on socks?" Ichigo's blustering questioning was not to be stopped it seemed.

 

            "Ichigo-san, please... Give me some time to answer one question before asking another."

 

            For just a few moments there was all-around silence.

 

            Ichigo finally settled. The rushing need to project all of the things he wondered at once was squelched. Folded over on itself and pounded a few times to force out imperfections on the anvil of interest – Urahara’s reminders for him to just ease up a little.

 

            During the pause the blonde man had a thought and asked it again once they’d had a few moments to settle down. "Are you feeling well?" Urahara asked before he would address the young man’s curiosities. It seemed like Ichigo was _extremely_ anxious.

 

            Ichigo answered back, careful with his words.  "I'm healthy, but it's not easy thinking about Aizen's minion being...here...around my family and during this time of the year." What else was he supposed to do in the moment? Have left Grimmjow alone to suffer and freeze? That wasn’t very fair. Because of the complications that would be presented from Grimmjow being around his family though…maybe it would have been a better idea to just walk away.

 

            "I'm sorry for that stress, Ichigo-san, but Jaegerjaquez-san seems to be no more Aizen's minion than those in Soul Society which Aizen manipulated. Please make sure our dear Espada isn't in the room while I'm explaining some of these things to you..."

 

            "He's not," Ichigo answered, briefly glimpsing the stairs over his shoulder to see that no one was there; additionally he heard no movement from nearby. "He's taking a bath- er, shower." Ichigo thought he could still hear the shower on upstairs.

 

            "Oh you're too kind to your enemies Ichigo-san."

 

            "As if you're one to talk after making him a spare body, but my first question is _why_ you would make a reiatsu masking gigai with a human appearance for an enemy of humans and the Soul Society?"

 

            "Aaah, I bet you didn't realize that you've just asked me a trick question. Jaegerjaquez-san was physically weakened when he arrived in our world and in my faux body he has no access to his inhuman strength or hollow abilities. He is no threat to anybody as he is. He’s just like any other ordinary man."

 

            Ichigo sat on the back of one couch to keep a firm eye on the stairs. He didn't want a deathly stealthy Grimmjow sneaking up on him as the pest had done earlier in his bedroom.

 

            "Now I found your Espada wandering around one of Karakura Town's public parks at the crack of sunrise this morning and stepped in to investigate. His reiatsu was expressing extreme levels of vigor but his arrancar body appeared extremely weary. Jaegerjaquez-san was not bleeding nor was he battered from fighting but he was exhausted and weary. I took advantage of the unique opportunity presented and offered him relief. In that way I could study the science behind an arrancar in a peaceful manner. I think I should feel badly that my modus operandi was not primarily to help Jaegerjaquez-san...but as you might agree he is still, without a doubt, the _enemy_."

 

            "So you enticed him to become your science project. All of the sudden you sound like a certain bat-shit crazy captain..."

 

            "'Enticed' is such a dishonest sounding word when you say it like that. I promise that I am in no means planning to dissect this arrancar as Kurotsuchi would."

 

            "You're still terrible." _'I'm probably just as bad for loathing his company,'_ Ichigo’s thoughts grumbled. "Anyway...how is Grimmjow _not_ a threat ‘as he is’? Hollows tire and recover, he probably wore himself out by scraping with another hollow or a shinigami."

 

            "No one in Karakura except for you, Yoruichi-san, and myself would be able to fight on par with an arrancar in the Espada rank. Believe me, I do pay attention to new reiatsu that are nearby and there have been no traces of others as honed as ourselves." There was a clattering as the scientist moved around objects at his table. "Your answer is simply that he cannot be a threat as he is because that gigai isn't removable per the occupant’s whim." Silence was on the other end of the phone and Ichigo was no doubt digesting this weird news. "Next question please, Ichigo-san."

 

            "...does he know that he can't take it off?"

 

            "Very astute question! The short answer is no, he does not."

 

            No wonder Kisuke didn't want Grimmjow to be listening in on this conversation. "I want the long answer. Did you just not feel like telling him?"

 

            "Not at all, I knew if he thought he couldn't access his hollowfied body and its power at any given time he would have never agreed. If he asks for help removing it, which I doubt will happen, just tell him you've never encountered that gigai's model before."

 

            Wow...that really was terrible and deceitful of Urahara. Well ok, maybe not _so_ terrible but it was a very strong sleight of hand at the least. "I hope you're at least going to give his usual body back...and in a pristine state."

 

            "Of course. Have you any more questions? I really must get back to wrapping these gifts." More rustling and clattering in the background was projected into the phone's receiver.

 

            "When you get more information about their bodies could you-"

 

            "I'll draft you a map and jot down every detail," Urahara assured.

 

            That was exactly what Ichigo was hoping for; though he was unsure why he was curious. "Thanks, yes. Umm... Please let us know when you can take him back."

 

            The blonde man was quick to pick up on the implication. "I thought he wasn't being troublesome?"

 

            Urahara had probably assumed that bad behavior was the reason Ichigo wanted to shove the unwelcome guest away. Ichigo really wished such a solid reason was true. He knew that Grimmjow hadn’t actually done anything particularly bad this whole while but the Espada was just so annoying to have around… Not to mention the fact that Grimmjow could probably turn violent at a moment’s notice. "Um…no, not really...but it's Christmas in a few days and..." how could he say this delicately...? "Grimmjow's an asshole."

 

            "What a strong word. " Urahara chirped. "Personally, Ichigo-san, I would say he’s crass more than anything. What happened to that loving spirit which gave you the notion to offer our homeless arrancar a warm shower?"

 

            "He isn't homeless, his home is in Hueco Mundo, and the bath was my dad's idea. Absolutely not mine."

 

            Urahara sighed next to the phone, "Well until he does something awful I think you should cut him some slack, hmm?"

 

            "I'll think about it," Ichigo replied with a contradicting spirit.

 

            "Alright, that's a start. Oh! During Christmas, in the afternoon Tessai, Yoruichi-san, Ururu, Jinta, and myself should be stopping by with gifts for your family! Ta ta-"

 

            The line dropped before Ichigo could offer any rendition of gratitude. Oh well. He could thank Urahara later. Touching the top edge of the phone's speaker to his chin Ichigo remained perched on the back of the couch. He was still missing the answer to one important thing. What had drawn Grimmjow into the human world to begin with? More than likely that was a question the Espada alone could answer. When Ichigo went back into the kitchen to hang up the phone some minutes later the girls were still there at different counters with his father obnoxiously cheering them on. Yuzu and Karin were cutting up meats and more vegetables. Orihime was stirring the ones they had chopped earlier in a pot on the stove. Ichigo could easily smell a hearty broth and soup as well as baking shrimp. Inoue must have decided to make that chocolate shrimp dish while she was here instead of waiting until she got home. The enchanting spell of winter's breath, which chases humans into their homes to seek warm meals, made their kitchen arguably the coziest place to be in the entire house. A whole family with a friend were gathered together to stir up warmth. It was a sight which Ichigo wished his mother could see. "That smells nice," Ichigo remarked, leaving the phone in its console.

 

            Orihime glanced back and beamed a bright smile, "Just wait until you get to taste it! It's Yuzu's own recipe."

 

 _'Whew,'_ he thought without the slightest expression of relief. Orihime’s recipes could get a bit wild…

 

            "My littlest girl is such an excellent chef, and dear Karin has just as much talent! That brings so much joy to a father's heart!"

 

            "Old man, you're being so loud I'm losing my concentration," Karin barked.

 

            "How can I not rejoice in my daughters' talents?!"

 

            "You do this every night!" Karin fired back.

 

            Ichigo smiled back, _'Suckers,'_ and fled the kitchen to go upstairs. He'd been on the phone long enough that maybe Grimmjow was finished with his shower. The orange-haired young man couldn't hear water running, he also found the bathroom door open and the light was off. Ichigo went in to see if the Espada was lurking in there for any reason. With a click of the light switch it was plain as day that Grimmjow wasn't here. Behind the door though...? Ichigo peeked around it. Not a blue haired twit there either. _'Oh shit...'_ Ichigo had noticed all of the clothing on the floor swept behind the door. Being on the phone had prevented him from looking for fresh clothing for Grimmjow! "Crap," Ichigo muttered. If Grimmjow had left his clothes here... _'Oh sweet merciful gods, please no...'_ Ichigo bounded over to his bedroom’s still open doorway without turning off the bathroom light. Expecting to happen upon a man wearing underwear or at least wrapped in a towel Ichigo jerked his vision away almost immediately when he found Grimmjow because…well... The man’s towel was on the floor and Grimmjow was laid back-down on Ichigo's bed with both eyes shut and his hands behind his head and all too casually lounging there naked. Ichigo had stared just long enough to note a path of thick blue curls trailing down from the Espada’s navel, he couldn’t help it the color was more magnetic than skin tone, and that eye-full was enough! "Get the heck off my bed," Ichigo demanded from the doorway with a frustrated growl.

 

            The blatantly naked individual stirred but hardly flinched at the demand. "Forget somethin'?" Either it was the promised clothing or himself that he implied Ichigo had forgotten.

 

            "What are you doing laying on _my_ bed?" Ichigo hissed, still looking off to the side.

 

            "Makin' a point." Definitely a strong point.

 

            "You should have left the towel on. Now get your naked ass up," Ichigo ordered with tightened fists and his eyes still off in another direction.

 

            "What's the big deal? I don't think the bed minds," Grimmjow sneered, sitting up with his legs bent over the edge of the cushy surface.

 

            "How about 'I don't want naked men lounging on the place where I sleep. Please get up?'"

 

            "Specifically _naked_ men?" Leaning to pick up the partly damp towel on the floor Grimmjow snatched it up and dropped it over his groin in a heap. "You can look at me now at least."

 

            Mentally preparing himself for a prank Ichigo's head turned. Grimmjow had done a lazy job of making himself... 'Decent' wasn't even the right word. Whatever, nothing sensitive was showing. "Great...but you missed the second step. I'll give you thirty seconds to redeem yourself."

 

            The Espada wondered how he should take that comment.

 

            Ichigo made his way over to the closet and rolled aside the second door. "That's twenty seconds left."

 

            The shinigami was actually counting down! Grimmjow got up, holding the towel in front of himself lazily, defiant to the extent that he would not wrap the absorbing cloth around himself. "I'm up," he announced.

 

            Ichigo yanked an oversized sweater down from the top shelf. "Well fifteen seconds isn't bad," he commented while checking the garment for holes.

 

            "Usually takes me about a minute to be honest. I don't like ta rush a good thing."

 

            Ichigo was trying to remember the last time he'd worn this shirt when Grimmjow's mouth dropped that shameless remark. He deadpanned pretty hard toward the wall of clothing in his closet. In an attempt to judge Grimmjow’s behavior fairly, an appalled Ichigo asked one question with his back still turned. "Was that just a reference to your dick?"

 

            "Out of spite, yeah," Grimmjow jeered.

 

            "Aah," the young man said as if confirming a suspicion. "Get the hell out of my room."

 

~

 

_[A half an hour later...]_

            Intending to tell his guest and son that their dinner was almost finished Isshin wandered upstairs. He found Grimmjow sitting, wrapped in a towel, beside Ichigo's closed bedroom door. The Espada’s head turned when the man of the house approached. "Is he dressing?" Isshin inquired with an onyx brow raised.

 

            "Dunno."

 

            A quick answer wasn't a reassuring one. "Dinner is about ten minutes from being done." The news earned no reaction from Grimmjow. Isshin stared silently until he was sure that the other man wasn’t going to say anything. That was a little depressing. Feeling a bit sorry for the Espada who'd been locked out in the hall wearing next to nothing Isshin now tried again for a response, "Did he find some clothes that fit you well?"

 

            Following a long pause was a one-word answer, "Yeah," and a fib at that.

 

            A bit skeptical Isshin nodded, pleased to hear that at least. "Good, tell Ichigo dinner's almost ready would you?" As if not expecting to hear acknowledgement Isshin turned around and moved in the direction of the stairs.

 

            "Sure."

 

            Isshin gave Grimmjow a hand gesture of approval before he went all the way down the stairs and out of sight.

 

            When the bobbing head of spiked black hair disappeared Grimmjow's blue eyes went toward the door he sat beside. He struck his knuckles against it several times. "Your old man says the food is almost finished," he called. There was a heavy rolling sound as Ichigo messed about in his room. At first Grimmjow thought his announcement had gone unheard or ignored. Metal that made up the door's knob clinked as the lock popped back and it was turned. Grimmjow promptly rose from the floor, holding his towel up with one hand.

 

            "Here." Ichigo waited until the man was properly on his feet before holding out a pile of neatly folded clothing. "You didn't have to lie for me."

 

            "Ain't a lie if ya don't get caught." Grimmjow took the clothing graciously and walked down the hall.

 

            “That is absolutely not how lies and truths work…don't lie for me again. Uh… Where are you going?” Ichigo questioned.

 

            The only thing Grimmjow did was quickly nod toward the washroom while he held his clothes and the towel.

 

            "Oh, right. I hope they fit you." Ichigo suddenly added, stalling the other male's advance into the bathroom. As the Espada stopped in the doorway to look at Ichigo the ocean came to life in his attentive eyes. No smile graced Grimmjow's lips, which made the gazing expression ominous. All Ichigo felt in that instant was the ominous deep...water crushing his body and a dampness that he imagined was missing from those flawless blues. Why did it seem appropriate to picture Grimmjow with tears streaming down his cheeks as the blue haired man stared attentively back? Why did it seem sad? A reactive smile raised the corners of Ichigo's mouth, perhaps nervously, but the Espada’s head turned away after he'd seen it.

 

            Grimmjow quietly closed the bathroom door behind himself.

 

            Ichigo's smile faded as he looked at the polished wooden door in the empty hallway. He had yet to understand that sometimes those who suffer experience further pain when those around them notice their suffering. Such is comfort and empathy’s conundrum.


	7. Acclimating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: n/a

Seventh Segment

_"Acclimating"_

 

 

            "I am _so_ hungry! Let's eat!" Orihime announced aloud with glee. All persons were accounted for and sitting around the dinner table while their food remained covered so no warmth escaped from it...well...all persons except-

 

            "Where's big blue? Isn't he eating with us?" Karin put the brakes on while she rested an elbow up on the table despite Yuzu's timid advice some minutes earlier to sit in a more polite position. The comment would distract each person from thinking of their food.

 

            Even Ichigo was honestly wondering if Grimmjow was coming downstairs because it had been ten minutes since the Espada had been tasked with getting dressed and by Ichigo's judgment that was five minutes too long. The oceanic appearance of Grimmjow’s eyes and the evasive behavior of the man when he’d smiled at him…maybe he shouldn’t have done that – smiled and stared. While waiting the young man noticed a questioning sort of look from Isshin who was probably expecting insight from Ichigo. 'I'm not some hollow's keeper' was narrowly about to escape the son's mouth when sturdy footsteps came down the stairs behind Ichigo's seat. Relieved but not surprised, guess who didn't turn to see who it was?

 

            "Hey Ichi-nii, those are your new jeans and sweatshirt..." Karin remarked sighting her brother's clothing on the now-present stranger. The man was wearing a black sweatshirt and dark navy-blue jeans…and socks. Black socks!

 

            Being so heavily observed as he came downstairs, Grimmjow wouldn’t admit it but at this point he felt an awkward ‘pang’. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked.

 

            Still facing the dinner table, Ichigo didn't bat a lash. It was correct that he was the uninterested or not surprised one, not having turned to watch the Espada walk down the stairs...fascinating as that could have been... "I know." Even as Grimmjow came to sit at the table, where there was a chair available between Isshin and Orihime, Ichigo still wasn't looking. "They were the only ones I have to fit someone too tall like him."

 

            "Too tall?" Grimmjow refuted, situating himself on the chair. He leaned against the table top with both elbows once he was comfortable, giving only a slight glance to his right and left as to make sure he wasn’t too close to the people he sat by.

 

            Sweetly forgiving, Yuzu tried terribly hard not to frown at a second person sitting with 'rude' posture. Oh well.

 

            Karin continued poking fun at Ichigo, "So you were lying when you said those clothes Yuzu and Dad bought you fit perfectly."

 

            Ichigo glared at his sister beside him. Karin stared right back with a brow raised, lacking no intensity.

 

            Those were the newest clothes Ichigo owned, regardless of fitting him well or not, and they weren't a cheap brand and it would have been the best idea to tell them the truth but he hadn’t. Isshin smiled despite the hostilities and jabs floating around, eventually deciding to interrupt the sibling squabbling, "Yuzu, my sweet would you do a father proud and say grace for our food?"

 

            No more arguing at the table.

 

~

 

            Forty minutes of quality feasting and talking flew by, everyone had actually enjoyed it a lot! The food was great and the company was pleasant and well behaved.

 

            Very settled, Ichigo remained seated at the table when their meal was finished.

 

            Orihime and the sisters and Isshin had begun to clean up so all dishes were taken into the kitchen and the clatter of those and mumble of voices resonated with joy from that other room.

 

            While unmoved Ichigo sat with his glass of cider, a favorite thing that he only enjoyed close to Christmastime, which he was drinking slowly and considering a few things.

 

            Grimmjow sat diagonally across the table with a beer, that Isshin had offered to him. The Espada was behaving civilly right now probably because the alcohol made him feel relaxed _and_ because he and the orange haired shinigami weren't speaking nor looking at each other. He was only considering the taste of this bottled drink, the nice texture of this sweater, and the noises coming from the kitchen.

 

            The short glass of mildly alcoholic cider tipped back and Ichigo gazed into the Christmas tree, thinking about its ornaments and which ones their mother had loved the most. If anyone ever broke one of those he would probably maim them; the ornaments’ sentimental value was so high. One of the glass angels Ichigo could still remember his mother holding when it was brand new and smiling…smiling so wide and bright that the image would stay forever, remembered every time he looked at that ornament. With his warm memory acting as a nice distraction Ichigo remained very pleasant but very distant.

 

            Grimmjow quickly ran out of things to consider and idly stare at on the table. Leaning lazily on the tall backing of the wooden dining chair, he looked at Ichigo and then the tree where Ichigo was staring. The lights around it were mesmerizing as they remained so brilliant and colorful between the dark pine branches. Then there was the way light traveled through the glass figurines hung on branches... Why did humans do this? Hang small humans with wings on trees which belonged _outside_? For someone who’d never heard of this holiday it wasn’t as magical as it was for Ichigo. For a second Grimmjow’s eyes flickered toward Ichigo again, who was very distant in spirit... Softly clearing his throat Grimmjow tried and failed to get the young man’s attention. The Espada’s eyes switched back and he stared at the tree silently for some minutes more before his eyes flickered toward the shinigami _again_. This time a hazel gaze was fixed on him; maybe that was what had prompted the Espada to check again. Surprised, Grimmjow's eyes swiftly focused on something else at random after being noticed.

 

            "What?" Ichigo challenged not sensing that the Espada wanted something.

 

            It was hard to say if he wanted or expected something or not. "Eyes elsewhere, _whelp_." A not so surprising reply considering their track record…and it wasn’t just from tonight. Ichigo’s eyes... Grimmjow wouldn't look toward Ichigo again, preventing an urge to lunge and swing at the shinigami. Those eyes made him angry…and uneasy, like he was being looked down upon for one reason or another. The Espada fixed his stare hard on the tree, seeming to ponder its appearance.

 

            Seeing the man shrink away from light provocation, Ichigo clicked his tongue against his teeth in boredom and got up from the table, leaving his favorite cider there. Ascending the stairs behind himself Ichigo slunk upstairs to his bedroom without saying anything more. Perhaps it was better if he just left Grimmjow sitting at the table alone instead of criticizing the man. He’d walked away because it was just so tempting to keep going and so boring to not.

 

            When Isshin returned to the dining room some minutes after the two's nonverbal parting, the man of the house found that the overhead lights by the table and in the living room had been turned off. Curious why Isshin tilted his head to see into the living room better. Someone was still there. A dark form had laid itself on the longer couch in their living room with its head facing the tree. The figure was outlined barely by the lights of their Christmas tree but it wasn’t exactly obvious who it was. Next Isshin glimpsed the unfinished drinks on the dinner table, each was still by the chair where their partakers had sat. He knew that Ichigo liked that cider a lot and Grimmjow seemed to like the beer so the two of them had probably snapped at each other and slunk off without caring if they finished their drinks. Well…he would just leave them in peace; it hadn't been the easiest of days for either of them. Both unfinished drinks were saved in the refrigerator in the kitchen where Inoue left notes with names as to whose they were.

 

            Inoue and Yuzu managed to leave a blanket over Grimmjow's sleeping form without waking him. They did so just before Isshin and Inoue stepped out so that he could escort her home. Upstairs Yuzu and Karin played around and laughed as they brushed teeth, washed up, and dressed for bed. Just some minutes after the girls' bedroom door finally shut and the house seemed silent, Ichigo opened his.

 

            In his sleepwear Ichigo went to remove Grimmjow's forgotten clothing from the bathroom floor. He felt like an idiot for forgetting that but he wasn’t used to picking up after someone else. Ichigo had managed to get the clothes and get back to his room without tripping on anything or being heard. Why was he sneaking?! It was just a pile of dirty clothes! …suppose he didn’t want anyone to think that he was being weird or caring too much. Ichigo’s bedroom door shut with a slow 'clack'. Silence resumed through their cozy home. Squinting, Ichigo switched on his overhead light while he folded and placed the arrancar’s messy clothing on the floor by his closet. If Grimmjow came looking for it then it would be obvious and easy to find. Then Ichigo switched off his light, eyes readjusting to the darkness and turned to go back to bed. Yes he’d gotten out of bed just to do that. It seemed silly when he thought about it- A long shadow from outside the broad window beside his bed cast through the frosted window. Ichigo almost jumped out of his skin but realized that it was only a shadow. The young man tried to pinpoint it outside from this distance. The moon had to be extremely bright to cast the shadow of that darkness. He figured it was the telephone pole outside. Had there been a full moon behind those snow clouds all along? Unable to pinpoint it, Ichigo knelt by the window on top of his bed and rubbed the steam from his breath off the window with his long sleeve to see better. He choked, "G-Grimmjow..!"

 

            The silhouetted figure of a distinctly unique arrancar was outside and easily balanced on the telephone pole just across the street. That fucking idiot! At the very top it perched with an erect spine, hands at his sides and legs straight. The man seemed fully dressed for being outside in the cold and the Espada stared up at the moon. It was...a _huge_ full moon tonight. Ichigo could not believe that this moron had gone back outside when it was negative-whatever degrees out there.

 

            The reflected light shimmered off white all around…Grimmjow's fur-fringed uniform and the snow... The brightness of the outline around Grimmjow's silhouette made him almost look like part of an eclipse.

 

            Ichigo's window had been sealed for the winter so he couldn't open it to shout at Grimmjow for being a moron again, but his initial reaction was one out of concern. No matter how grouchy it might come across as Ichigo felt he needed to do something. In a disorderly heap the young man leapt off of his bed, yanked his bedroom door wide, and barreled downstairs so fast and loud that he woke up the slumbering Espada- wait...

 

            Grimmjow sat bolt upright on the long couch when Ichigo's feet hit the rug over a small patch of hardwood at the base of the stairs.

 

            Ichigo froze, sheer confusion taken him over, and switched on the living room light a second later. Was that Grimmjow?!

 

            Like a cat Grimmjow’s pupils shrank to slits in an instant. "The fuck?!" Grimmjow groaned, rushing to cover his rudely blinded eyes until they could adjust.

 

            "...but..." Dumbfounded and blinking away his own eyes’ discomfort Ichigo argued with the reality that Grimmjow was on the couch! He made a break for the front door in a sprint. Ichigo yanked the front door open and freezing air rushed in, blowing flecks of snow at him and making his body tense up horribly. The cold air cut right through his clothes. Through the winter night Ichigo stood staring upward; across the street the telephone pole was bare… Icicles pointed downward from its wires, snow covered the metal transformer, fuses, and beams…the top of the pole was accumulating snow again, but no one was up there nor on any of the roof tops nearby. "...but I...I swear he was up there." Ichigo shivered at the cold rush of winter winds. His feet, hands, and face were so cold standing here! "Swear he was..."

 

            Unnoticed, disturbed snow was on the ground around the base of the pole, the chunks had fallen from some great height...


	8. Body Double

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: blood

Eighth Segment

_"Body Double"_

 

 

            It was a freezing cold morning and bright as the sun reflected off of the snow that blanketed this part of the human world generously overnight. Someone had been merciful enough to leave the blinds across the windows around the living room so that it stayed agreeably dim when morning came, with the exception of some of the Christmas lights obviously. This room was still Grimmjow’s sleeping place and later in the morning he was roused from refreshing sleep by a stern pat on the shoulder. The Espada cracked a bright blue eye open at first and found Isshin hovering next to the couch.

 

            "I hope you slept well. Everyone is awake and making good use of their time, you need to be too. You and I are shoveling snow around the outside of the house, the shovels are already out there. I’ll be outside to join you shortly after you’re finished getting up." The charcoal haired man was not making this a request.

 

            With a few cracks of his joints Grimmjow sat up and grumped with both eyes squinting open, "Get Ichigo. I'm your guest, aren’t I?"

 

            The expression on the raven-haired father’s face was rather neutral toward the blatant aversion. Isshin shrugged, a sign of indifference toward the fact presented. “Ichigo is out right now, doing something equally as important.” He started to walk away from the couch. “I suggest that you hurry outside.” Isshin had tried to be fair at least but he did need Grimmjow’s help.

 

            Even just waking up Grimmjow was perceptive of the civil way that Isshin addressed him. Grimmjow watched the raven-haired man walk toward the front of the house, take a turn and disappear from sighting. Grimmjow heard the front door open and close with a swipe back and forth. He pondered those things for a groggy minute. Should he listen? With a grunt of dismissal Grimmjow collapsed on the couch again and shut his eyes. He drifted, into a twisted sleep as he napped for several minutes longer on the cozy couch.

 

_[The same time at Urahara's shop...]_

            Ichigo kept his distance, Grimmjow's arrancar body was standing erect across the room from him. Its eyes were unfocused and drifting as a pair around the room unnaturally. "He's- _It's_ functioning by _itself_ …without any part of Grimmjow’s mind piloting it?" This was so puzzling. So the Grimmjow he’d seen outside last night…had been this empty body. While trying to grasp this Ichigo admired how Tessai and Ururu had retailored the arrancar uniform to cover up most of the Espada's body, transforming its jacket into a fur-lined coat with a furry hood and the wide-belled hamaka into thick pants for warmth and ease of mobility. Tough winter boots covered the body’s feet and padded gloves on its hands; perfect for winter. If there was anything redeeming about Grimmjow it was that he was actually really good looking in most any clothes or uniform. Ichigo shook his head, trying not to think about that too hard. “Is it really functional like this?”

 

            "Yes! Though only to an extent,” the remark sounded delighted. Urahara was waving his usual plain white fan around wildly to actively narrate his statements. "Unfortunately, it did not like being grabbed. I thought it was necessary to restrain his empty body as a precaution and well…as such I was trying to prevent issues and it struggled and escaped me by running outside last night. A feat like that was quite unexpected. Needless to say, don't try to touch him or I’ll have to break out the lasso again."

 

            "Uh huh...I won’t." Ichigo was confirming and convincing; he eyed the strange shell of a body from across the room again. It stood there quietly, gaze unfocused. Eerie. "Do you imagine it feels where Grimmjow's actual uuh...individual self is?"

 

            Urahara seemed rather excited that Ichigo had asked something like that. "That is likely the reason it visited that telephone pole by your residence while evading my pursuit. I'm almost certain that there is a continued linkage between an arrancar body and its ‘individuality’, that being like a soul. I can’t say that’s the case for all arrancars but in Grimmjow’s case it’s very compelling."

 

            "So why didn’t it approach Grimmjow last night?"

 

            “A fair point. It didn't get the chance to approach directly in this case because of my pursuit. Regrettable as that is I couldn’t let it get away. I doubt that arrancars spend a lot of time outside of their own bodies so Grimmjow probably doesn’t understand that this can occur when ‘no one is home’. He was unconscious for a time in the gigai after I split him from his real body. His arrancar body was unconscious at the time as well. So as far as I’ve seen his arrancar body _flees_ from danger at all costs while it does _not_ act to protect his ‘individuality’ which is in the other body. As of now there isn’t much purpose to why his arrancar body would still be functional. You said that he was in a fight, correct?”

 

            Ichigo nodded, “That’s right.”

 

 

            Urahara also nodded. “Proof that it didn’t come to defend him. I deem this otherwise distant behavior of the body _very_ strange... It didn’t have any reaction to that fight at all yesterday, it only turned active when I tried to restrain it. This could be a defect stemming from the hollow to arrancar transformation, something typical in defensive nature…or just something gone very wrong entirely. I really can’t tell.” Urahara was rather disappointed that he had to admit this, but it was honest.

 

            “Do you think it would come to save him if he was mortally hurt?” Ichigo’s tone of voice sounded at least a little bit concerned.

 

            “I don’t know enough, Ichigo.” Urahara shrugged with a sigh.

 

            “Oh.”

 

            “Thinking about beating Grimmjow up were you?” Urahara teased.

 

            “No,” Ichigo responded with flatly. Though he kinda was thinking about it…

 

            Watching Ichigo’s concerned reaction shift easily into irritability made Urahara certain that even though the Espada was a lot of trouble that at least Grimmjow was still well looked after.

 

            Ichigo had another question. "You said earlier that this body was unconscious, wouldn't he feel that through their linkage?"

 

            Urahara perked up, “Well, if it’s any kind of proof…his ‘individuality’ in the gigai awoke first and he saw his original body unconscious on the floor and was unphased. I told him it was normal…which at the time I genuinely thought to be true. I didn’t realize that it would get up and start walking around, but it didn’t seem to affect his ‘individuality’. Though to be honest with you Ichigo,” Urahara folded his hands and sighed softly, “much of the nature of the linkage his ‘individuality’ shares with this arrancar body is still mysterious. We’re only just beginning to scratch into what we can learn about arrancar. Are you more interested in looking after him now?" the shady shopkeeper joked with a wily grin.

 

            Ichigo scowled, “Not really,” unappreciative of that strain of teasing. He sat down backwards on a chair and glared at Urahara.

 

_[The Kurosaki residence...]_

            With a grunt Isshin hefted a bunch of snow off the cement at the foot of his home's front door. "I honestly thought you would continue sleeping." He continued moving snow without hesitation to clear the walkway as fast as possible, the temperature outside right now was probably two degrees Fahrenheit.

 

            Grimmjow jammed the edge of his shovel through a drift of snow and lopped the mass it lifted into a pile away from the house's front walk. "Heh. So did I."

 

            The father shook his head, "You almost killed my son in combat. Several times."

 

            "Yep."

 

            "Now you're with me and my family as a guest, shoveling snow off our cement walkway..."

 

            "Guess so."

 

 _'Odd turn of events,'_ Isshin thought. Momentarily he heard a 'clatter' followed by a 'thump' and the crunch of snow. Looking up at the roof Isshin eyed it for snow or ice dislodged from above. _'That's strange.'_ Tentatively he looked behind himself. Unmoving, Grimmjow was collapsed face-down in the six-inch drift they'd been clearing. The shovel had also partly sunk into the snow not far from him. The charcoal haired man rapidly dumped his own shovel and trudged to the fallen man's side in quick-time. Dropping to his knees, despite snow packing onto his pants and melting unconfortably, the father reached into the snowy drift and lifted Grimmjow's heavy torso upward. Both eyes were shut and the arrancar's head limply reclined backward and he breathed shallowly, not even so much as groaning. "Grimmjow wake up." Isshin patted the unconscious face and waited. Nothing happened. "This is not good... He's actually unconscious…" With care Isshin lifted the heavy Espada and brought the other man back into the house. Grimmjow had not slipped on ice or snow, there were no slide-marks; he had just... _collapsed_.

 

 

_[Urahara's shop... A worrying development.]_

            "What happened?!" Ichigo yelled.

 

            "I haven't a clue yet. ... This body's claim to any reiatsu just plummeted, but it makes it infinitely harder to focus on figuring this out when you are _yelling_ , Ichigo." The former captain really was trying to focus on the data that the sensors were listing on several computer screens.

 

            Ichigo bit his lower lip for a second then began to lift the soulless body. "Hurry up!"

 

            "Ichigo-san, I only read so fast," Urahara insisted, trying not to seem agitated as his eyes traced letters and numbered segments of text. "He's still breathing as you can see so for now he will be alright." It was almost laughable to think Ichigo had overlooked the durability of an arrancar because of panic. "Whatever has gone wrong it's not fatal."

 

            In a moment of apathy and selfish desire to save face, Ichigo abandoned lifting the body the rest of the way and set the thing down and stood up alone. The unmoving Espada's body lay on the polished wooden planks of the floor, eyes half opened yet chest falling and rising shallowly. The young man took a cold, distancing step back from his enemy.

 

            "Suddenly you care less?" Urahara questioned, noticing Ichigo abandon his caring task. "Ichigo, your help is needed."

 

            Ichigo's perceived mood wasn't wholehearted. "He's my enemy. I _should_ care less!"

 

            "Think twice. He's not your enemy right now," the former captain corrected. "This body can't even fight back presently, this part of him is utterly helpless. You simply need to _calm down_ and bring him over to the table."

 

            Ichigo was five shades of feelings all at once. Worried, irritated, frustrated, guilt inflicted and embarrassed. In summary: conflicted - still. Ice encasing Ichigo's heart was melting and he didn't want anyone else to know, but he felt so transparent. He had to escape it. It was so mortifying to care like this. The subject made Ichigo's heart twist and ache. He _shouldn't_ care..! ...and yet, he...did... "HE'S MY ENEMY!!!" Ichigo felt a hard strike across his face and collapsed on his ass by the doorway, looking stunned.

 

            Yoruichi had come to see why they were yelling, not really having a solid reason to hit Ichigo; he was just the one making most of the noise.

 

            Urahara sighed and made use of this distraction to heave Grimmjow's arrancar body onto a long table by his computers by himself. "I think Ichigo-san needs a warm drink while you're here," Urahara suggested. He began hooking tubes and wires into the Espada's body to directly tap into his implanted sensors.

 

            "Well Tessai's coffee is hot 'n ready if he'd like to have some," Yoruichi suggested, offering a hand to the downed young man to help him onto his feet again.

 

            Appreciative that he had a better reason to walk away now, Ichigo didn't take the whack badly and accepted the woman's help. "I'll go on my own," he commented, waving her off when she almost started following him.

 

            "End of the hall..." Yoruichi called to help guide him. Ichigo knew the way anyway, she just wanted to be sure. When he was gone her interests directed to Urahara who was tending to the unmoving arrancar and reading his computers. "He was bleeding a bit... You're smearing blood. The keys won't work for long if you do that."

 

            "This is more serious than I would like you to let Ichigo-san know, alright?"

 

            "Alright..." Yoruichi stepped forward and crossed the room to stand by the table. Just a little gash on the top of the blue haired body's head. She spritzed a clotting agent, from a medical kit kept in the room, on the gash and began to take care of it. "What happened to him now?" The catty woman swung her hips one way and leaned on the table while she pressed a cloth down on the gash. "Something you did messed him up real good, didn't it?"

 

            The phone nearby began to sing and Urahara reached for it right away without even trying to answer Yoruichi's question. "Kisuke speaking-"

 

            "I have an issue." The voice hurriedly informed. " _He_ collapsed out in my front yard for no apparent reason. We were only shoveling snow and he just fell right over and now he's totally unconscious. From a medical perspective this is really concerning and an unwarranted reaction. Did anything strange happen over there?"

 

            "Oh dear..." Urahara was mildly surprised to hear this news. "I think there could have been an interruption in something essential. What is his condition like otherwise?"

 

            "Breathing very shallowly. I have him on a stretcher in my clinic and I'm monitoring his pulse incase that changes. Hemorrhaging nonstop from his nose was the second occurrence and now he's turned deathly pale. Pallor first showed up on his face, then his neck, now his arms and his chest."

 

            "Is that so..." Urahara gave Yoruichi a look. "Go check on Ichigo, don't let him leave," he whispered to the shapely woman. With Yoruichi gone on that mission Urahara turned to look at the body he had and was given a fright. In the short transition between Yoruichi leaving the room and himself juggling the phone receiver, Grimmjow's arrancar body had moved onto its side, sat up all by itself. It grabbed the former captain's sleeve with an unrelenting hold. Its eyes were blank slates and focused on the floor. A stream of blood ran from one side of its nose and dripped off his jaw line onto the floor. As Urahara tugged for his sleeve back the grasping of the cloth only got tighter. Urahara was quick enough to prevent the poorly balanced body from tumbling off the edge of the table and laid it face down. Yanking his sleeve away, he'd press a hand on its back to keep the body still; it was trying to grasp his sleeve again and again. Next he witnessed something weird, both of its wrists turned purplish and began to bleed. "Is his gigai bruised?" Kisuke asked into the phone receiver. Streams of tears began pooling and running from the corners of the eyes... The former captain wiped at the tears with a tissue; not liking the implication of these developments timed so closely together.

 

            "What? No. I've stripped his shirt off and rolled up his pants. Nothing but pallor and the nosebleed."

 

            "Like corpses, gigais such as his gain paleness when they are unoccupied by or poorly connected to a soul or whatever we can call his ‘individuality’. It could be that he was spontaneously urged to come back to this body which would put him in an awkward limbo considering that the gigai isn't going to let him go without my techniques. The pull between his ‘individuality’ and this arrancar body is definitely proving formidable..." Urahara paused for a moment and held the phone with his shoulder as the arm that hadn't been grabbed moved to gently feel Grimmjow's nose. A slight break in it... The bleeding was worsening. "This feels like a fracture. His nose could have been broken recently."

 

            "Only his nose being torn off should bleed _this_ much Kisuke. The bowl I'm catching it in is almost full and this rag is soaked."

 

            "That...much?"

 

            "Yes. I feel no fracture on this body so why would the gigai start bleeding? Shouldn't only his original one be effected by prior physical damage?" Isshin questioned with heightening concern.

 

            "Grimmjow's ‘individuality’ is doing something to cause this," Urahara concluded.

 

            "It's not intentionally self-inflicted, surely."

 

            "Certainly not. I never expected such a deep issue to come of this research opportunity."

 

            "There's no ignoring it now, Kisuke."

 

            "Tell _none_ of this to Ichigo, no matter what happens to Grimmjow. He seems to be really unsettled by all of this."

 

            "Ichigo was acting upse-? Oh, he's waking up! I'll call you back, Kisuke-" The line dropped off.

 

            Urahara wished he could have talked to Grimmjow himself, but he could verbally probe the Espada later. Grimmjow wasn't going anywhere abruptly. Now...where was Yoruichi? He shook off the gigai's hold. The bleeding from its nose had seemed to stop. After that the body closed its eyes and seemed to fall asleep so he strapped it down with care to keep the thing from wandering the shop. "Yoruichi-san? Where have you gone?" Urahara pushed the door to the kitchen aside and no one was there. Alright... He went to the next room where they shared meals and pushed those doors aside. The blonde man sighed with relief. There was Ichigo and Yoruichi drinking coffee and eating some snacks. Chips, crackers, sweets, and the like. "Grimmjow is better now, his reiatsu was just in flux. We were scared for no reason."

 

            Ichigo made a face behind his coffee mug and mumbled, "I didn't feel it fluctuating. I felt it disappear." He wasn't stupid or gullible despite being conflicted. "I haven't felt it at all actually since he collapsed either."

 

            "Well that's the thing. It was all recalled to his gigai for a short time, leaving none for this shell of a body. It might bounce back and forth - like a satellite signal. Isshin called and said they were shoveling snow so maybe he wanted it for that activity."

 

            Stubbornly Ichigo grumbled. He _didn't_ care about Grimmjow, but just how much extra energy could that hulk need to shovel snow? Was he shoveling the whole flipping street? Not likely.

 

            Urahara stiffened and darted back up the hall suddenly.

 

            "What the-?" Ichigo got up to follow.

 

            "I think it's best if you don't-" The catty woman at the table tried dissuading Ichigo's curiosity without success.

 

            "I don't take orders from people who try to hide things from me," Ichigo barked at Yoruichi. He marched out with his coffee in-hand and into the temporary lab where they'd been before. Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw the pool of blood gathering from the Espada's dripping nose as it had started bleeding again. Urahara was trying to stop it by pinching the nostrils closed and had the body sitting up on the edge of the table with feet dangling down. As the weakened body was squirming and pushing against the man to get away Urahara was restraining it. "He really hurt himself from that fall..." Ichigo mumbled.

 

            "Yes, yes he did." Urahara was willing to let Ichigo believe that.

 

            Ichigo was playing dumb so Urahara wouldn't try making up a bullshit story for this too. He despised being lied to and handled with mittens regardless of why. "You should get gel for his nose so it won't dry out after the bleeding's stopped...a dry nose could make the bleeding start again."

 

            Urahara sighed, "Spoken like a Kurosaki. Ichigo-san you're as quick as your father. Watch him for me?"

 

            Slowly Ichigo nodded and came forward. When Urahara let go the body surprisingly ceased its struggle to get the man's hands off and remained seated on the table. When Ichigo heard the former captain close the door he double checked to make sure Urahara had really gone. He set his mug down and took Urahara's place holding Grimmjow's nose. The body didn't struggle against him... "You're a lot of trouble Grimmjow, and I hate you for that," the young shinigami insincerely began to growl. "Take your problems away and don't make any more for me and my family. Do you even understand what time of the year it is? You're ruining it-" The shinigami stopped to push up the body's head as it tried to slump forward, he settled his hand in soft blue hair. He didn't expect Grimmjow's hair to be this soft...he looked too rugged for that. "I hate you," Ichigo hissed again - only venting his anger to an empty shell. Ichigo looked down and saw the bleeding and bruising on both of its wrists and got widened his eyes. _‘What the..?’_ Urahara hadn't done this…had he?! No way. Looking up immediately after the discovery he found the body's eyes half open and gazing hollowly at him. A twinge of uncertainty passed through the young shinigami. Could this thing intelligently register his voice? His words? Feeling guilty he began to apologize to the empty body, "I didn't...didn't really mean it. You're just...a pain in my ass..." Ichigo didn't get a reaction from the body but he kept talking. "You came at a bad time... I have things I need to fix before Christmas a-and being worried about you is weird to me...a-and I don't think I can handle more problems..." This was like talking to yourself in the mirror or to a doll, not for company, just to run through your own thoughts.

 

            The eyes would blink every once and a while during the one-way conversation.

 

            "You're not really there. The real Grimmjow would never sit through this yakking." Ichigo stated to reassure himself. A dull urge to ask what was on his mind now, questions, came through. "W-What happened to you anyway?" The shinigami's mouth trembled at the words. Those eyes were so empty but this body was so obviously alive; this was so goddamn weird. With his nerves upset by the hollow stare, Ichigo bit his lips hard to stop them from beginning to shake. It didn't really work. "What happened t-to you?"

 

            The body would say nothing. What were words spoken to a shell? Nothing but echoes that eventually died out.

 

            Ichigo let go of the Espada's nose. It dripped a little but no more streams of blood. "You aren't struggling against me..." he came to realize. "Do you recognize me? If you do you probably know somewhere that I'd never actually take advantage of you for being weak." This felt cathartic.

 

            The eyes flicked upward and deadlocked a gaze between them.

 

            Ichigo got chills. When the body reached out for him like it had Urahara he didn't shrink away. The sleeve of his shirt was pulled on and for minutes they remained still like that, until the body's eyes dampened and a tear or two fell onto Ichigo's sleeve. The young shinigami wiped at the wetness draining from those empty blue eyes and sighed, allowing the body to continue clutching his sleeve with its head hanging down. "He'd never cry..." Ichigo remarked, patting the last of the wetness away. _'Grimmjow would never cry, he's too hard and cold.'_ In the background Urahara and Yoruichi were getting the gel; Ichigo was sure they were far away. For the purpose of testing himself, the young shinigami gently set his lips up against the soulless body's pair and held the Espada's head up, giving the empty vessel a kiss that was a sweet and innocent peck. Maybe he was taking a small advantage of Grimmjow’s state by doing that… Ichigo's mind became a feather's weight and the tension he'd felt of earlier began to go away. Vaguely, the soulless body reacted and mouthed with odd coordination against his mouth. The movement was so slight that its awkwardness didn't trouble Ichigo. The young man was swept up in the moment and for a little while his conflicted thoughts were gone. It wasn’t taking advantage if the body knew he was there… It could have tried to flee at any time. Ichigo settled with the innocent kiss. He was a feeling, social being and he'd always had a connection to Grimmjow through violence, so why not a little of this now? Why not taste a different part of Grimmjow other than the sharp, worn blade he swung to kill? Maybe he also wanted to do this because Grimmjow looked upset and he didn’t want the Espada to feel so bad. Ichigo's mind was turning with these questions. This just felt so good...and when Ichigo pulled away from stealing a kiss he smiled and touched the body's lips with a pair of fingers together. "Our secret...kay?"

 

            He was talking to a shell. No matter what it wouldn't talk back.


	9. Because of Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: n/a

Ninth Segment

_"Because of Pain"_

 

 

            After leaving Urahara's shop and running home with unholy speed Ichigo began to trudge up the steps to his home which weren't shoveled completely and he slipped on a patch of ice under the snow and smacked his butt hard against the ground with a pained groan. “Agh!” Should have paid more attention and been in less of a hurry…

 

            The front door swung open a second later and his sisters, who’d heard him groan, came running outside in less than winter appropriate clothing while trying to pick their big brother up together.

 

            “I'm fine, I'm fine,” Ichigo reassured them as the three trudged back into the house. Both Karin and Yuzu were shivering and Ichigo managed his footing and took them into the living room to wrap blankets around them, completely forgetting his mission to find his dad immediately.

 

            Meanwhile a short way away in the same building Grimmjow left the home clinic, looking better. He noticed the siblings in the living room, the two girls clinging to their brother and inspecting him for injury even while he was trying to keep the blankets on them to warm them up. The front door hadn't been closed, standing just past it Grimmjow noticed the freezing air swirling in and saw the marks in the snow from where _someone_ had fallen on the front walk. It wasn't hard to figure out who and why. Silently Grimmjow moved outside without socks on his feet or a shirt on his chest and shut the front door; the Espada grabbed his same shovel and started breaking up the ice on the pathway and threw snow by the shovel-full off of it as well. Just because of pain, even someone else’s, he was compelled to finish what he’d started.

 

            The shutting of the front door was noticeable to the three in the living room and Isshin in the clinic at his desk…but Isshin couldn't see the living room and the siblings couldn't see their father so everyone assumed it was fine. Isshin probably thought that it was his son coming back in. Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin probably assumed that the wind had shut the door. The scraping of the shovel moving snow and the crack of the sharp end wasn’t anything unusual coming from outside…it could have been a neighbor.

 

 

_[Several hours later when the sun was setting...]_

            Ichigo was lazing around on the couch, lamenting the fact that he'd spent an hour alone today trying to find Yuzu's Christmas present _again_ without success. That necklace was hopeless. It was just too hard to locate and probably frozen in ice by now. A naughty Ichigo turned a package of cigarettes which he'd confiscated from his old man around in both hands pondering it. He tapped the pack against a hand before sliding one out. They'd been taken because Ichigo's sisters hated it when Isshin smoked casually - a cigarette every couple of days to weeks apart, even that was too much. They'd hate if they saw Ichigo doing it too but right now the family was dispersed in the house and weren't hanging around the same room as Ichigo so he figured that he could do what he pleased. The young man set the free cigarette in his mouth and got up, wandering to the dining table and picked up the lighter beside their ornamental holiday candle on said table. He flicked the lighter several times before the thing's flame was sturdy enough then burnt the end of the cigarette until it lit.

 

            What a bad kid indeed! As if he’d be able to hide the distinct and potent scent of cigarette smoke drifting around the house…but Ichigo was not that stupid.

 

            Moseying over to the sliding door to their backyard, through the kitchen, Ichigo cracked it and blew the smoke outside. The steam from his breath twisted with the grayish smoke he exhaled and he just leaned against the doorframe, thinking heavily about what had gone down at Urahara's place…especially what he’d done. He still wanted Grimmjow to fuck off and take care of himself but he'd enjoyed stealing that kiss immensely for whatever damn reason. Girls, girls, girls...the world seemed to revolve around them whether it was romantic or not. His schoolmates were always looking for hot girlfriends; people were always teasing him about not having one. Ichigo’s whole gaggle of friends usually had to fret over the girls in it foremost. Even his dad’s world revolved around the memory of his late wife and his children who were mostly girls. Ichigo huffed out another breath of the cigarette’s smoke after an inhale. …and now just one time he'd kissed a guy. The one time that a guy had mattered over even being caught. With a snort Ichigo shook his head. "So stupid..." he mumbled.

 

            "What?"

 

            Ichigo started at Grimmjow's voice and his head snapped toward the man who had found him smoking by the door.

 

            Grimmjow was no idiot, he'd snuck up on the shinigami and remained two or three feet away – out of striking range; Ichigo was no flower, he'd punch him if given a good enough reason. No doubt.

 

            "None of your business, Grimmjow."

 

            "Why? Are you actually thinkin' about something important?"

 

            Ichigo was not happy to be taunted, why should he be? "Take this advice and go away."

 

            The shinigami had majorly misinterpreted that and turned it into something very hostile. It didn’t matter if Grimmjow’s initial intention wasn’t meant to be taunting; unfortunately his usual personality made it easy to assume that he was. Grimmjow decided to partially take the advice and turned his back, walking off back through the kitchen and into the living room. He stopped there and talked loud enough to be heard, "What were you digging for at the park?"

 

            Ichigo's voice gained a low and annoyed quality, "You _followed_ me?"

 

            "Like I had something better to do."

 

            "Something I dropped, I was looking for it. Don't follow me around." Ichigo turned his head away and concerned himself with the cigarette and the snow in their backyard.

 

            "Did you find it?"

 

            "Don't pretend to be interested, you’ll just tick me off. If you're bored go talk to my old man or Urahara. I don't feel like keeping you company."

 

            Grimmjow didn't react much to the cold dismissal. It actually didn't bother him in the slightest because he was used to it from the other Espadas and arrancars; Hueco Mundo was not a gentle and soft place. Grimmjow set something on the dining table with a light 'clack' that was sharp enough to draw Ichigo's attention. “Well now you don’t have to look.” Those words brought the teenager away from the door to see what he'd-

 

            Stopping at the table with a half-burnt up cigarette still smoking Ichigo moved his free fingers over a tiny gold pendant on the chain. It was still cold. Grimmjow had just brought it in. "Is that where you were for the last half hour..?" Ichigo questioned with surprise and disbelief.

 

            "It only took like fifteen minutes... You're a dipshit if you couldn't find that."

 

            Scraping the jewelry off of the table incase Yuzu happened on them Ichigo shook his head. "You just watched me and looked where I'd already searched."

 

            "And I watched ya research the same places over and over. Like I said, you're probably a dipshit. Sorry for bad news." Grimmjow shrugged and copped a slight grin; he wasn't actually sorry obviously – he’d given Ichigo more good news than bad.

 

            Then there was prolonged awkward eye contact. Thank baby Jesus that amount of cringe only lasted a few minutes.

 

            Pocketing his sister's precious present after he couldn’t take staring into Grimmjow’s unblinking eyes anymore, Ichigo walked away to go back to smoking beside the cracked sliding door.

 

            Grimmjow moved off to the living room couch and laid down on it. They both processed what had just happened.

 

            Ichigo was embarrassed that Grimmjow had outsmarted him.

 

            Grimmjow was amused that Ichigo had no real backtalk about being called a 'dipshit' more than once… That little staring contest had been fun, and technically he’d won.

 

            Many minutes later when that cigarette was finished Ichigo talked so Grimmjow could hear him while preparing to smoke another one because he was stressed and conflicted. "People are coming over tonight. Don't mess up the living room."

 

            "I fuckin' won't, get off my case."

 

            "I'm just saying..."


	10. Some Sort of Passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: some violence and buttsecs

Tenth Segment

_"Some Sort of Passion"_

 

 

_“I am touched by good energy._

_A kindness that lingers with me._

_In a cold heart that thought it could never be,_

_Some sort of passion possesses me.”_

_[Nightfall. Ichigo and Grimmjow have been kicked outside for shouting profanities at each other...]_

            Outside in the chilly winter air Grimmjow shoved Ichigo hard enough to knock the young man off the cement landing at the front door…

 

            …but Ichigo resisted and swiped snow from a bush's branches beside the house and tossed it in Grimmjow's face as retaliation.

 

            Blinded for a second with his face stinging Grimmjow growled, "Fuck..! Son of a bitch..!" His head shook off the snow and he shoved Ichigo again – harder.

 

            Ichigo’s body resisted yet again for the most part, he only stumbled slightly and his shoulder hit the side of the house beside the front door. His unzipped coat was enough padding to keep that from being bruise-worthy. Ichigo did not look happy. “What is your stupid problem?! At least I told you!”

 

            "Are you fucking kidding me?! You knew!” Grimmjow raged, “You knew why I wasn't able to get out of this body! THE WHOLE TIME!" the Espada shouted at the human he'd shoved with unhinged anger. Grimmjow wasn’t wearing a coat, just a long-sleeved sweater, but his body steamed a bit as he was so angry. This is what had started their profane fight in the house.

 

            Scowling Ichigo remained leaning against the house, shoulder sore. He couldn’t see Grimmjow so well in the dark with the porchlight dim behind the unhappy arrancar. "At least I told you at some point, you ungrateful jerk!"

 

            Grimmjow wasn’t sensitive to being referred to as anything of bad nature. "You're such a fucking tool!" Apparently the fact that Ichigo had eventually said something about his condition in the gigai wasn’t good enough. It was strange to him but he couldn’t see so well in the dark right now either…he was used to his more keen eyes in his arrancar body. Grimmjow made a quick gesture and slapped Ichigo on the side of the head.

 

            Reactively Ichigo lifted a hand and punched the Espada hard against the face in anger. "Screw you!"

 

            Shaking the blow off Grimmjow recovered fast from the hit, moving his jaw and turned in advance to hit Ichigo back. Ichigo apparently had had the same idea – to hit Grimmjow _again_. They just weren’t meant to get along. They met with a clash, punching each other wherever they could get a fist in one after the other. Their fingers gripped hard at the front of one another's clothing refusing to let the other one get away without his punishment and frustrated grappling melted into a kiss as they were close. Hot and savory without any innocent testing each other for approval or gentle synchronization. At the peak of agitation they were in synch and that turned into the unexpected. This was some sort of passion...

 

            Grimmjow's lips came back first, separating from Ichigo's like they'd been stuck with a thin amount of glue. He looked shocked and shoved the shinigami away.

 

            Equally as shocked of expression Ichigo came back from the kiss dazed and surprised that such had happened and that he still had his own tongue in his mouth after a kiss like that. He was unphased by the shove. Oh shit...what had he just done?

 

            Grimmjow was feeling impacted by the same sort of reassessment now that the heat of that one moment had passed and reality set in hard.

 

            They’d separated like two strangers who'd mistaken the other for someone they didn't actually know. In words…it was so awkward...

 

            "Grimmjow don't _ever_ kiss me again," Ichigo growled.

 

            " _You_ kissed _me_ , ya _fuck!_ " Spitting into the snow, Grimmjow _had_ been the one to back up first and shove Ichigo away…but only because Ichigo was so near a wall of the house and physically couldn’t manage to take a step back nearly as quick.

 

            In actuality they'd truly moved on the kiss at the _same time_ , just neither was willing to admit it… They both understood it, but they both denied it...

 

            Ichigo froze stiff and staring furiously at the dimly illuminated arrancar while puffing plumes of air from his mouth.

 

            Grimmjow’s nostrils flared puffing his own plumes of exhaled air in annoyance. His mouth was tightly closed in a frown for what one could easily see with the porchlight. His brows were also furrowed angrily.

 

            Ichigo thought twice about continuing to bicker as some familiar people approached the house from the sidewalk. He already knew that they were having company but when was a little up in the air. Apparently now.

 

            Greetings from the visitors silenced the dispute and Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu approached the two out on the front step directly when they realized that there were people outside. Several of them were carrying wrapped gifts.

 

            "Kurosaki-san. Jaegerjaquez-san, is my invention still comfortable?" Urahara wanted to know.

 

            "The body? Yeah sure…" Grimmjow tried not to sound rushed as he asked because he was eager to lose the residual reminders of agitation around what’d just happened…so he could forget the experience and all. Hopefully these people hadn't seen them.

 

            Ichigo was just as nervous on the inside but without a prompt to speak he just pretended to shiver more than he actually should.

 

            "I'll be happy to alter anything which isn't comf-" Urahara started to offer.

 

            "It's pretty detailed you know..." Grimmjow cut-in to say, recalling the inspection he'd done in the bathroom days ago and the gigai’s notable accuracies in private areas. Surprisingly he said nothing of what Ichigo had told him about his soul being stuck within it. Why the fuck had Ichigo seen fit to tell him that anyway? It was definitely going to piss him off no matter what, having that kind of thing kept from him.

 

            "Details are important. I wanted you to feel right at home," Urahara assured with a salesman smile.

 

            The gaggle of visitors proceeded into the house after the yakking was done and left the two they’d encountered outside in the cold to whatever they were previously doing – they had no clue.

 

            Glad that no one seemed to have noticed and pleased that the group was in the house and away from them now Ichigo wasn’t willing to start talking to Grimmjow again yet and Grimmjow wasn’t really willing to talk either. They just stood around on the small front step. Ten silent minutes... Shivering because the night air was extremely bitter and cold, Ichigo was finally the bold one, breaking the silence. "Hey…" he prodded with a plume of air escaping his lips. The arrancar still hadn't looked his way yet. Maybe Grimmjow was trying to ignore him…but then why didn’t the idiot go back in the house?

 

            Leaning against the wall as far as he could get away from the human Grimmjow mulled things over by himself and intentionally ignored Ichigo at first.

 

            "Grimmjow…" Ichigo insisted with a growl.

 

            "What?!" the ornery Espada's head turned and his expression was disgruntled under the porchlight.

 

            "Let's talk, where they can't eaves drop or anything." Without giving the Espada much time to think about it Ichigo pushed himself away from the wall and trudged through the small front yard’s snow toward the side of the house where there was a garage.

 

            Just when Ichigo was manually lifting the garage door Grimmjow finally rolled his eyes and stalked after him, coming up beside Ichigo.

 

            The shinigami's fingers ached as he held the garage door, which wasn't electric. Unexpectedly a helping force lightened the load of all that weight he was lifting alone. Ichigo looked over...but Grimmjow wasn't looking back at him while he assisted. They raised the door enough, crouched under it and closed the large door as it was before. A motion sensing light turned on above their heads. It was maybe ten degrees warmer in here. Ichigo wiped his hands on his pants, glancing at a nonfunctioning car parked in the garage with disappointment. He’d almost forgotten that this was here.

 

            Grimmjow noticed the unhappy look on Ichigo’s face toward the car. "What's wrong with it?"

 

            With a sigh Ichigo gave as much of an answer as he could. "The spark plugs are bad. I wish I knew how to change them…but once I figure it out I’ll do it."

 

            "What'd those do?"

 

            Of course Grimmjow didn’t know…the arrancar had definitely never owned a car. "In a car like this they make the engine fire. In the engine there are can-like spaces called cylinders and those cylinders uuh…" Grimmjow was giving him an odd stare that seemed very blank. Ichigo realized that Grimmjow was not understanding. "Hold on…" Ichigo moved away from the garage door and opened the unlocked car's driver side door then pulled the hood latch. There was a clunking release sound. He made his way around and lifted its hood. Instantly Ichigo could tell that Grimmjow was studying the machinery inside of the engine compartment as something he’d never seen before. "That large thing in the center is the engine, it has those cylinders in it and because of the work done in the cylinders the engine makes the power to move this thing."

 

            "Uh huh."

 

            "It's umm...basically a case for explosions. Explosions happen in the cylinders. Without a spark though nothing explodes though so there can’t be power to move parts. That's about all I know though…" Ichigo shut the hood with a ‘thunk’ and stared down at it with a blank slate slotting into his mind, just letting the moment settle in maybe. That random explanation was pretty sidetracked from the stuff he actually wanted to talk about. He had questions for Grimmjow…but Ichigo also felt a little vulnerable. They were alone. He’d prompted talking but hadn’t asked anything yet… Was that why he feel so vulnerable right now? If that was part of this melting feeling he had.

 

            Not bothering to remark back about the engine, even though it was kind of cool, Grimmjow wandered around to the side of the car and sat down beside the front passenger’s tire. Right on the ground with his elbows on bent knees and stared at his feet with a light scowl. Eventually he just put his head in his hands and stayed like that, trying to get some of his senses together probably. Even he wasn’t sure exactly why he was doing what he was doing, but he felt strangely about all of this…not just being any amount of civil around Ichigo.

 

            Noticing but trying not to be noticed for staring Ichigo was shocked to see Grimmjow's neck bowing. No way... The situation had really gotten to a steel skinned guy like this? Maybe it was just a collective of some things. Ichigo shut the car’s driver door smoothly and walked with the softest steps he could manage over toward Grimmjow who was sitting on the floor. "Let's talk now."

 

            "Let's not," Grimmjow refuted fast.

 

            Ichigo sighed hard and shook his head, stuffing his hands into his coat's pockets. "You didn't confront Urahara despite what I told you."

 

            "I'm more pissed at you."

 

            Ichigo got quiet.

 

            "I said I'm pissed," Grimmjow reaffirmed, like he was disappointed at the lack of a reaction from the other party. He looked up with a really hard glare that showed not just that he was frustrated but unintentionally a sad upset in the blue sea of his intense eyes. Grimmjow was probably not even aware.

 

            There it was again…the ominous deep…water crushing him and the implication of a dampness that should be welling up in those eyes. Ichigo still took that about how it was meant to be taken and got aggressive back. "What do you want me to do about it?!" he snapped, though his snappishness dissipated quickly. He was suddenly thinking of the way that the Espada's arrancar body looked at Urahara's place. All teary eyed and injured. He could see the emotion of that in Grimmjow’s face now, like the other half of a whole emotion…though there were several that had been disembodied from that shell. "Why are you so cold and cutting?" Ichigo accused.

 

            Grimmjow gave the shinigami an 'are you kidding' type of look and the upset emotions were gone. "You're the one who's been wishing I wasn't around and doing everything he can to get me to leave. So who's really cold here? Fuck…"

 

            "Don't be gentle about that or anything..." Ichigo mumbled irritably shrinking off his stare to look at the floor instead.

 

            "You brought it on yourself. I'm not dim, I know I'm imposing on your life. That's why I tried to stay out of it." There was a long pause between words. "But you just _had to_ fucking invite me in anyway." Grimmjow scowled and shook his head, not looking up at the human anymore.

 

            The weight of that fact being told to him by someone he'd carelessly assumed to be too awkward to understand humans was heavy. "Strange how things happen the way they do..." Ichigo admitted.

 

            “Yeah whatever, dipshit,” Grimmjow grumped.

 

            Ichigo crouched down beside the Espada and pulling on Grimmjow’s nearest sleeve he got the man to look at him again. He leaned forward a little with a docile expression. He knew that Grimmjow was partially miserable…at least subconsciously.

 

            By the docile quality of Ichigo’s face Grimmjow quickly figured what was going on but he was only a little sure of committing to it. It was his choice it seemed… He leaned the rest of the way after a second of assessment and felt lips against his own. He shut his eyes.

 

            Ichigo kissed the Espada. Eyes closed too and warming to the feeling.

 

            Grimmjow could feel the frost between their cold snappishness melting. For right now he didn’t mind this. He didn’t know why…but he really didn’t mind…

 

~

 

            Sitting together in the backseat of the temporarily out of commission car Ichigo, lacking his coat, and Grimmjow had found a warmer place to share their moment. It was also definitely more comfortable than the garage floor.

 

            After sitting back from kissing for a long while Ichigo’s hands had found their way between Grimmjow’s legs and massaged the rise in the man’s jeans against one of the Espada’s thighs.

 

            Not at all bothered Grimmjow let that happen and eventually his jeans were unzipped and Ichigo pulled out his cock and kept a hold of it with his warm hands, stroking it as much as he could without lubricant. Grimmjow just enjoyed that, with one leg bent over the seat and the other toward the floor, though he pushed and pulled on Ichigo while he brought sharp teeth to Ichigo’s thin human skin. He was biting Ichigo various places like the lips, neck and ears.

 

            Ichigo was quite wrapped up in this. He’d really never done anything like it before but he’d cleaned himself up this evening already and felt just confident enough to keep going. It was taking the edge of tension off a little.

 

            When Grimmjow felt Ichigo’s hands move away he stopped biting and came back to himself, watching the human take a shiny package out of his pocket and open it. “Fuck is that?”

 

            "A human thing…it’s a condom. You put it on like this..." Ichigo began rolling the plastic thing down over Grimmjow's erect cock while the Espada frowned at the contraceptive. "Don't use your nails to roll these down. Ever. You'll poke holes." He’d guessed the size right…seeing Grimmjow in the buff at least once had turned out to work in his favor.

 

            "What good does it do?" Grimmjow expected that it was supposed to make him feel good or something…

 

            "Protects from disease, pregnancy and it’s lubricated."

 

            "Are you brain-dead? This is a brand-new body!" Also he didn't figure in the point of this thing if they were both male, no one was going to get pregnant.

 

            "It’s mostly so we can have sex easier." Ichigo made sure the plastic barrier was on well before beginning to unbuckle his own pants. "I've never done this with another guy but the way I figure it I especially don't want my butt full of your jizz, ok?"

 

            “Jizz? The fuck is that?”

 

            “Cum! Semen!” Ichigo glared flatly at Grimmjow. “How can you not know that?”

 

            Grimmjow glared back with his jaw cocked one way, “Stupid human nicknames for things don’t exactly turn up in Hueco Mundo. The hell do humans need seven words for one thing anyway? It’s dumb like your damn decorated indoor trees.”

 

            “Just…quit.”

 

            "Whatever dipshit..."

 

            Fighting off a frown Ichigo started to turn around on the backseat, pulling his underwear down and staying bent over, “I’m really tired of you calling me that.”

 

            Aware that this was his cue Grimmjow got up behind him and made himself comfortable rubbing his cock against the warm skin of Ichigo’s body; the inside of the car was still a bit cold so that body heat felt really good. “If you stop being a dipshit I’ll stop saying it.”

 

            All too casual about this Ichigo settled for leaning all the way over and with his elbows on the backseat and his hands propping his head up he frowned toward the padding of the door infront of his face. “ _Why_ am I even a dipshit this time?!”

 

            Grimmjow growled, an agitated sound with a frown, as his hands were holding onto either side of Ichigo’s hips and his cock was rubbing in between the toned mounds of the shinigami’s rear. He didn’t verbally reply.

 

            Ichigo felt lubricant from the condom smearing his asshole and fingers spreading his hole while he was bent over like this. _‘Here it goes…’_ his thoughts mused. Ichigo wasn’t completely ready for this. Now the bulbous head of Grimmjow's cock was going into him and the spread of that thing really, _really_ hurt at first. “Not quickly..!” Ichigo squirmed a bit as he tried to keep relaxed and open but Grimmjow developed an unbreakable grip on his hips and only relaxed his forward push a little.

 

            As the whole tip of his cock slipped in Grimmjow’s body was ready to just fall forward and force his cock in to fuck the sense out of this whelp but he wasn’t dim to the fact that would only feel good for one of them. In a subconscious way Grimmjow wasn’t a fan of giving Ichigo what he’d been treated with by others… A rough shove and a harsh fuck wasn’t good sex – even if they were just having a quick fuck. The Espada wanted to enjoy this completely, and his senses were telling him that the only way to do that was to consider Ichigo.

 

            Unfortunately for Ichigo regardless of how gradual Grimmjow was the Espada’s cock was _not_ small or average; it was actually still growing engorged and larger past what was already a pretty damn substantial erection. The lubrication on the larger condom was designed to help this thank god and once the tip was in the rest was an easier slide. "Agh… Take it out if you’re going to be that rough!" Ichigo complained, uncomfortable at first but not struggling enough to justify his complaint. Despite this it still felt kind of good…and he was relaxing even more as that massive cock opened him up.

 

            “Quit complaining…dipshit. You know I’m not doin’ it on purpose.” He could tell that Ichigo was relaxing and he knew why.

 

            In some way the rough texture of Grimmjow’s hands on his thighs was helping him relax too. Ichigo growled, embarrassed and thoroughly feeling the strain but that cock was dragging against his prostate and that felt fucking sensational. At most he’d played with himself a few times, curious about how something like this felt. Grimmjow was much bigger than any fingers or toys and it was a bit painful initially but sublime. “Sh-Shut up!” By the point when Grimmjow had gotten himself balls deep Ichigo was biting his own wrist with savage force. That much wasn't all supposed to fit in was it..? He felt a little full and sore already.

 

            Grimmjow enjoyed the moments letting Ichigo adjust briefly and placed a hand on the young man’s back and slid the fingers down Ichigo’s lowly arched spine as the shirt on the shinigami had slid up. Ichigo had very few scars and his skin was actually pretty attractive…so was that curve in his back. The Espada slowly drew hid cock back then slid in again. While he shuddered from the sheer feeling of that reinstated squeeze the human under him uttered reactive a sound of pleasure.

 

            One low and breathy moan. “Mmmnnn…” Ichigo barely realized that he was going to make that sound before it happened.

 

            Without such a harsh vice grip on his cock from Ichigo’s body relaxing well that told the Espada that he could get to work… Sliding in and out with long draws and deep pumps Grimmjow repeated his rhythm at a surprisingly steady rate. With the pleasure rolling through is cock and balls he wanted to do it faster but he wasn’t going to yet.

 

            Ichigo still felt a little of the sting but it wasn’t as bad as getting started. That initial spread from the girth of Grimmjow’s glans and up the shaft had been a profound feeling he’d never forget. As he relaxed completely Grimmjow picked up the pace and Ichigo found himself drooling against the backseat as he stayed leaned over with his ass up. Was this being a slut? Enjoying this so much? How about taking advantage of Grimmjow’s mood and encouraging him to fuck because he really wanted it… Was that even taking advantage? Ichigo’s kiss to Grimmjow’s soulless arrancar body might have been closer to taking advantage than this was. Regardless Ichigo was elated that he was getting more than a kiss now and was growing a deep sense of approval for this kind of activity. He supposed preference was based on whatever naturally turned someone on, but had a straight man who disapproved ever actually felt how it was to have this friction? This heavy drag against a most sensitive and buried spot..? The feel of the same sex who could articulate exactly what was desired because the man knew just what it felt like…what a man wanted to be pleased… Ichigo was caught up in a quick fuck sure, but it was his first and it was good because his partner right now cared about making it good. That was building a strong desire to want this sex again. A strange and new kind of passion was filling them, and Ichigo had never thought his previously cold heart could melt in such a way. “Ooooh…” he moaned pleasantly.

 

            Grimmjow vaguely noticed how Ichigo reacted. The Espada was in a state of sheer lust, and while he was making it good for the both of them he was definitely venting a bit. He didn’t usually do this. He couldn’t usually do this. There was absolutely no one he liked enough to do it to waiting for him in Hueco Mundo. So it felt good to just have something with someone he kind of hated…but not whole heartedly hated. This condom thing wasn’t actually so bad, it didn’t slip around and make the sensation unusual. It barely felt like it was there and with the way that Ichigo was bent over it felt absolutely great. He could get all the way in and when he hit those inward thrusts the human would often squeeze him just a bit more. Without being asked Grimmjow’s wrists hooked on the curve of Ichigo’s bent body and reached around with his hands to stroke the human’s swaying cock. It was drooling as much as Ichigo’s mouth and he found that fluid made it easier.

 

            No talking. Neither was interested in any talking.

 

            With Grimmjow’s large fist holding around his engorged cock Ichigo’s breathing turned especially ragged. So much friction… Tall veins...his asshole could feel the veins on Grimmjow's cock as it plunged in him. The Espada leaned over and in a way embrace him, chest against his lower back and face against his shoulder blade, while continuing with no stalling in pace. One of Grimmjow’s hands went down for balance and somehow Ichigo’s was under it, their fingers laced together and squeezing.

 

            Thirty sensational minutes they kept going until Ichigo’s body just gave and he blew his load in Grimmjow’s stroking hand, Grimmjow in turn let himself go as Ichigo’s body squeezed him hard and as rare as it might be, they both came at almost the _same_ time. Grimmjow wouldn’t admit that he felt so drained but he really was, it was unbelievably good to cum _this_ hard. He moved until his balls had nothing left to usher. The warm pooling of semen being squished around his cock as he finished was unusual to him but not bad.

 

            For being on the receiving end of some quick sex Ichigo felt well taken care of… Grimmjow's body sure was warm up against his own as it stayed behind and against him.

 

            The arrancar slowly pulled out with the condom not slipping off and stayed behind Ichigo. Grimmjow was _pleased_ with this experience.

 

            Eased by the member having been withdrawn from his twitching pucker Ichigo let himself enjoy the after-sex satisfaction and didn’t try to change positions but he did start mouthing off again. “That was not romantic at all…” he mumbled.

 

            “Not supposed to be, dipshit.”

 

            “I swear if you keep calling me that…” Ichigo grumbled lightly, he was almost too satisfied to rag on Grimmjow. _Almost_.

 

            Grimmjow was still leaning over the human and now his cum splashed hands moved up the bare front of Ichigo’s body and with his face turned and his forehead leaned against Ichigo’s high back as his arms settled around the shinigami.

 

            Feeling Grimmjow being affectionate was weird… “You still hate me right?” Ichigo just wanted to confirm.

 

            “Yeah. You’re still a dipshit and I fucking hate you,” Grimmjow reassured without changing his comfortable position.

 

            Weirdly he liked hearing that. “Good. I fucking hate you too.”


	11. Volatile Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: mentions assault and violation
> 
> “ICE MELTS” IS FINISHED. THE REMAINING CHAPTERS I WILL PUBLISH OVER THE COURSE OF TODAY BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS AND THIS IS MY GIFT TO Y’ALL. STAY TUNED.
> 
> Secondary disclaimers:  
> I do not hold any ownership of the 'Grinch' (the term and character) nor do I profit from its mention.

Eleventh Segment

_"Volatile Heart"_

 

 

            It wasn’t Christmas _yet_ …but it was getting close.

 

            All straightened up and dressed again, Ichigo was slower to recover from their romp than Grimmjow for obvious reasons. Damn his butt was sore. The both of them had effectively evaded the entire household’s attention for this amount of time, or at least no one had come looking for them.

 

            Ichigo leaned back after they’d both sat up and were separately resting for a minute in the backseat. He closed his eyes and exhaled in a delicate sigh, _‘I can’t believe I let him do that.’_ His mind was still coming to terms with the fact that in the moment he’d invited this to happen… Being pretty sore after the fact though the rest of him still felt pretty good and made it seem worth it. After a moment Ichigo stared down at his hands over his lap with a small smile that couldn’t be helped. Suppose it was the same as the impulse that had driven him to kiss Grimmjow’s empty arrancar body…similar to Grimmjow’s impulse to lounge on his bed naked when he’d been forgotten about when he first got here; Ichigo realized now that the Espada’s following remark about getting it up in a minute and not rushing a good thing weren’t just crude jokes – Grimmjow was flirting. It boggled Ichigo’s mind a little to think that a vicious arrancar like that would want to flirt with him. He closed his eyes and mentioned, “You know I’m sorry I said that your heart was stone cold.” The first night he’d run into Grimmjow Ichigo remembered that he had said something like that in irritation to the Espada. It wasn’t very fair.

 

            Grimmjow looked silently at Ichigo then looked away and spoke, “For the last time I don’t care, especially since I don’t have one.”

 

            Ichigo blinked his eyes open and looked at Grimmjow. He still begged to differ.

 

            Grimmjow’s eyes flicked over once more, catching Ichigo’s defying stare. “You _actually_ think I have a heart?”

 

            Ichigo nodded his head, not looking away.

 

            Grimmjow on the other hand disagreed. “That’s too sentimental, shinigami. I just don’t have one. It’s impossible.” How many times did he have to say it to nail that into Ichigo’s noggin? Fuck.

 

            Ichigo’s stare flattened for an instant. He didn’t think that Grimmjow actually understood what a ‘heart’ was.

 

            Grimmjow yanked his eyes away again and stared at the back of the front seats in the car as well as his bent legs in jeans with feet resting on the floor. The heat of the moment was completely gone and it was pretty cold in here…and Ichigo was trying to argue with him _again!_ Grimmjow scowled slightly. “Too bad you weren’t wearing that stupid Christmas sweater with that dog on it today…”

 

            “Grimmjow…that shouldn’t even be a turn on.” Flirting with destruction… Ichigo sighed, he knew both were arguments he’d never win. In relaxed silence Ichigo waited a short while, making sure that his head was in the right place to walk back into the house composed. He hashed out another thing: Grimmjow wasn’t a complete grinch…just mostly a grinch. Funny enough Ichigo was a little bit of one himself. There was a ‘thump’ on the backseat beside him and Ichigo looked over.

 

            Collapsed on the backseat Grimmjow was unconscious. The Espada lay on his side, eyes closed, with a sleeping sort of expression. His head was just next to Ichigo’s leg and his limbs were completely limp and unsupported.

 

            Ichigo’s expression quickly turned to shock. “Hey..!” Uh oh… Grimmjow didn’t stir. Ichigo shook Grimmjow. The Espada’s head just rolled which showed off his sleep-like expression. The Espada had very shallow and occasional breaths but Grimmjow was pretty pale; Ichigo got more alarmed. “Grimmjow… _wake up_.” He hadn’t been told anything about Grimmjow passing out before so this ‘malfunction’ with the Espada’s soul-like identity in the gigai was new to Ichigo. When Grimmjow still wouldn’t wake up after more shaking, and a slap that was more for himself than Grimmjow’s sake, a moderately concerned Ichigo took it upon himself to drag Grimmjow out of the stationary car and carry him on his back almost like a bookbag. A bookbag of lead… Hiking up his grip with the heavy man hefted up Ichigo sweat a little as he hip-checked the car’s rear door closed because this was hard when he had no hands – they were under Grimmjow’s thighs. Grimmjow was also _a lot_ heavier than he looked! All of that muscle weighed a substantial amount…plus Ichigo was already a bit tired out. Fixing…how would he fix this?! They’d at least have to get back into the house; Ichigo thought there were some smelling salts or something in the upstairs bathroom that had never made their way back to the clinic. They would have to go through the garage’s door that connected to the clinic and then through the main part of the house. Right where everyone else was gathered… Maybe Ichigo could get the salts without being noticed. Ichigo shakily climbed the couple of stairs it took to get to the door and just barely managed to open it by leaning up to the knob as he still held onto Grimmjow under the Espada’s rock-solid thighs.

 

            Remaining still and pale Grimmjow was limp and quiet. Leaned forward on Ichigo’s back his arms draped over Ichigo’s shoulders and his legs were dangling.

 

            Miraculously Ichigo nudged the garage’s door the rest of the way open and closed it behind them with a foot. He wobbled a little taking steps into the dim and patient-less clinic. Jeeze! That was _too_ hard! “Grimmjow why did you have to pass out now…” he grumbled quietly. _‘Pain in my ass.’_ Ichigo made a slightly annoyed face as he realized how right his thoughts were, and that made the annoyance worse. Ichigo looked around warily for his old man. Isshin’s desk was an organized mess and unattended but further into the house, the clinic door to their residential part of the house had been left open, Ichigo could hear people laughing and gabbing in the living area just beyond that open door. They didn’t have a lot of space to slink by and there was just no damn way that he was getting past them without being noticed. The rest of the people in the house couldn’t see in here because the living room was a little offset in position but he’d either have to wait here until Grimmjow became conscious again or walk straight through and look suspicious as hell. Ichigo considered their guests. It was strange how Urahara, a man of great intellect and excellent at coordinating plans, had come by with presents earlier than he’d first mentioned which would have been Christmas afternoon. It seemed rushed and unplanned. Why?

 

            With a sigh and no certain answers Ichigo managed to get Grimmjow laid down on one of the cots in the clinic and then pulled a curtain closed quietly around it after checking whether the Espada was still breathing – Grimmjow was. As long as he was breathing Grimmjow would be fine right? For now perhaps but Ichigo’s plan at present was to try to distract everyone by himself, get the salts and then come back for Grimmjow and wake him the hell up. Ichigo really didn’t want to look like he was spending too much time and attention with this asshole.

 

            “ICHIGO.”

 

            Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin and almost fell over the cot he was standing beside inside of the encircling curtain. Warily Ichigo slowly turned and yanked the curtain apart. Who…who had said that?!

 

            “Down here you idiot!”

 

            Ichigo looked straight down and saw, “Kon?!” Ichigo blurted then promptly covered his own mouth as he realized that he was making way too much noise.

 

            “That’s right! You bastard! How dare you lock me in a drawer for days at a time!” Kon exclaimed pointing his stuffed paw accusingly up at Ichigo with a triangle-looking claw extended further than the other ones. His beady [literally] eyes were fixed upward in frustration.

 

            This was so not the time for this loud bickering! As Kon continued to complain extremely loud for the sake of staying incognito Ichigo grabbed the mod-soul and clamped a hand over Kon’s mouth, effectively shushing Kon.

 

            Even with that measure there was a voice nearing the clinic now and footsteps.

 

            Ichigo pulled the curtain closed again and holding his breath he kept that hand clamped over Kon’s mouth as the mod-soul squirmed ferociously. There was no time to reason with Kon. Ichigo picked up his feet as he sat on the edge of the cot so that he wouldn’t be noticed.

 

            It was the Kurosaki’s head of household, Isshin, who peered around the dim family clinic from the door, looking left and right. “Hello? Ichigo? Grimmjow? Someone?” He’d heard strange noises from here and wondered why. The raven-haired man waited and even walked forward into the clinic a few paces. Nothing looked disturbed or suspicious but it was a little too dim to see well. Hands lifting out of his pockets, Isshin leaned and switched on the lights then strolled all the way into the clinic and stared down the illuminated aisle between the curtain divided beds. “Hellooooo…ghosts? Come out if you’re hiding in here.”

 

            Ichigo was not coming out. He continued to hold Kon’s mouth.

 

            Looking back and forth Isshin only saw that some of the curtains around the cots were closed and others left open but nothing was really moved or broken. Isshin went back to turn off the light then closed the clinic door and returned to the living room where their guests were at.

 

            The clinic was a little darker with that door shut. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief and glared down at Kon, whom he was accidentally smothering. “Be _QUIET_ ,” Ichigo whispered grumpily.

 

            Kon was released on the side of the bed and was just about to open his mouth and yell at Ichigo regardless when he noticed that he was standing next to an unconscious Espada. Grimmjow’s face was intimidating whether it was at peace from being unconscious or not! Kon yelled in fright, “Aa-!”

 

            Frantically Ichigo grabbed the mod-soul _again_. “For the love of- _Shut up_ Kon!”

 

            After a few minutes where Kon was utterly frantic the mod-soul grew weary and calmed down enough to be let go. Kon rubbed at his depressed stuffing to get it to fluff again. “You are one brutal guy Ichigo…”

 

            Ichigo was ignoring Kon and carefully removing Grimmjow’s coat then laying the Espada back down.

 

            “What the hell is going on you bastard? First the drawer…and now _this guy_ again!?” Kon hissed quietly, jabbing a paw toward the Espada and poking an unconscious Grimmjow’s cheek with his triangular claw. Some confidence he’d gained when realizing that Grimmjow was quite unconscious and unable to hurt him.

 

            Ichigo frowned and with a twitching look of agitation on his face, grabbed Kon and taped him down to Grimmjow’s chest. “If something happens to him make a lot of noise. Got it?” Ichigo commanded, narrowing his eyes just as he finished speaking. Kon could do him this one favor. He should maybe make up for stuffing Kon in that drawer later though.

 

            That serious expression on Ichigo’s face was scary! Kon’s plushy skin stood right up in alarm. “Y-Yes! Yes sir!” But why did he have to be taped to this guy?!

 

            Ichigo set his feet in shoes down on the tile of the clinic floor and stood up off of the cot. He turned and removed Grimmjow’s shoes carefully. Then carrying both Grimmjow’s coat and shoes Ichigo slunk out of the curtain and walked stealthily to the clinic’s door and noiselessly opened it up. He shouldn’t waste time if he could help it.

 

            Kon watched until Ichigo was gone and as he was stuck laying down on Grimmjow’s slowly rising and falling chest Kon stared at the ceiling. Sheesh. Why did he always get the crappiest jobs?

 

            Removing his shoes Ichigo walked into the house, leaving the clinic door open a crack just in case Kon had an emergency. Quietly he moved into the nearby foyer by the front door and placed both pairs of shoes on the stone landing. Ichigo hung up Grimmjow’s coat and left his own on the hooks by the door as well. No need to wear those right now. Going back out to the hallway Ichigo walked out acting very casual with his hands half in his jeans’ pockets and after he got to the living room several steps away he saw everyone at the dining table over by the kitchen.

 

            It wasn’t like Ichigo’s presence was stealthy enough to be unnoticed; Urahara and Isshin noticed immediately.

 

            “Oooh! Ichigo-san!” Urahara mentioned with a hand’s wave as his other hand was holding up one of his plain fans.

 

            “Ichigo! Was that you knocking things over in our clinic?!” Isshin asked with a squint.

 

            “Um. Sorry. I was checking on my car,” Ichigo mentioned and he actually wasn’t fibbing.

 

            Tessai and Yoruichi looked up at that point.

 

            “Ichigo-dono,” Tessai greeted.

 

            Yoruichi smirked.

 

            Ichigo had to wonder what she was smirking about but Yoruichi was always up to something.

 

            The children at the table all piped up and yelled a jumble of greetings at Ichigo. Yuzu said something nice, Karin said something purely smartass, Jinta made a tough face and said ‘yo’ and Ururu bowed her head with a formal ‘hello’.

 

            Ichigo nodded back as he couldn’t single any one greeting of those out to answer to. “Hey there. Sorry for showing up late.” He was keeping his cool and walked up toward the table because he felt obliged to do so. He noticed playing cards in everyone’s hands and spread on the table then realized that they were all in the middle of a game. What game was it..? He couldn’t tell. It seemed like Tessai was the dealer and they were playing whatever it was with a pot of…were those _chestnuts_ they were wagering with?! Ichigo squinted at the group. “What’s the game?”

 

            Yoruichi slapped her hand down on the table several times, “Poker! What do we look like? A bunch of go-fish pansies?!”

 

            Eyes wide Ichigo felt a little more awake now. “N-No. Who’s winning?”

 

            Jinta scowled and leaned on his hand with an elbow against the table and gestured at Ururu.

 

            No one contested this. She was winning.

 

            Ururu’s face didn’t change expression as she closely concealed the fan of cards in her hands. “Jinta…you shouldn’t point at people,” she mentioned in a low and sweet voice.

 

            Yuzu admired Ururu’s technique and tried to be just as pokerfaced but she was really struggling with that.

 

            In this Karin looked like Jinta in the fact that she was slightly annoyed. She’d lost most of her chestnuts already…

 

            Urahara waved his fan cheekily, “I taught her so well-”

 

            Yoruichi leaned on the table with an arm and a murderous expression on her face across the table toward the shop owner, “Uuuuuh? _You_ taught her?”

 

            Urahara quickly put his fan up in front of his mouth and nose with a defensive snap. “Well the poker face at least…”

 

            “UUUUH?!” Yoruichi growled, the one who’d actually taught Jinta, Ururu, Tessai _and_ Urahara to play poker was _her_. She looked absolutely aggravated with him and he was lucky that there was a table separating them.

 

            As Ichigo watched the verbal conflict blankly Isshin patted him on the arm.

 

            “Ichigo, did Grimmjow run off?” the parent wondered, noticing the lack of the Espada’s presence with his son and he’d kicked them out of the house collectively until they could cool off and stop cursing at the top of their lungs. Isshin wondered where Grimmjow might’ve gotten off to after that.

 

            Able to keep his composure like this, with the noise of Urahara and Yoruichi bickering in the background actually helping because it was so typical, Ichigo blinked and looked at his dad. “Well he was dressed for the cold like you saw, but I don’t know where the hothead was going.” Shit! He wasn’t being direct enough, “Um. Said he was taking a walk after yelling at me for being a ‘dipshit’. I think that’s his favorite insult now. Why is he still here anyway?” Ichigo complained.

 

            Isshin tried to swing at his son with a strong fist but Ichigo backed up rapidly.

 

            “What the hell old man?!” Ichigo was pissed.

 

            Isshin lifted a finger and sagely stated from the comfort of his chair, “You do not grouch about someone else in front of company Ichigo! It’s rude and not becoming of a young man!”

 

            Ichigo grumbled, now was not a time for a lesson in manners.

 

            This news on Grimmjow caught Urahara’s interest and he stopped goading Yoruichi into a rage and looked at Ichigo over his fan’s edge. “I hope it wasn’t a walk to my shop. There’s no one there to open it for him.” Urahara didn’t want to find out that the arrancar had torn the doors off to get in when no one answered his knocking.

 

            “Ah no. He went the opposite way,” Ichigo expertly lied through his teeth. Perfectly calm. Perfectly simple. It was believable. “In an hour we can go looking for him if he’s still out, I guess…”

 

            Urahara nodded his head, “That would be a good idea and Ichigo-san…I have something to discuss with you if you’re interested in listening right now.”

 

            Ichigo seemed surprised.

 

            “You aren’t trying to get out of this game…are you Kisuke? _UUUH?!_ ” Yoruichi, who wasn’t any less irritated thumped a forearm on the table so much so that everyone’s chestnuts jumped and she leaned partly across the flat surface.

 

 _Everyone_ seemed to wake up a little more after that.

 

            Urahara slipped up from his chair, fanning his fan up by his face. “Certainly not!” he hurriedly assured. “I just have some important business to discuss with Ichigo if that’s alright.”

 

            Yoruichi settled back into her chair with lightly crossed arms, “Fine but you better come back to get your ass kicked in the next hand.” She wanted to teach him a four-sided lesson.

 

            Ururu was still hiding her cards close to herself with Yuzu mimicking her and the rest of the table was staring for a minute as Urahara walked off with Ichigo into the living room and they sat down on the couches a modest distance away. The two were turned the opposite direction so that no one could read their lips. After a minute no one was really paying attention to them anyway as the rowdy game of chestnut poker continued.

 

            Ichigo sat down and relaxed back on the couch while ignoring the fact that sitting was sore… Getting taken aside wasn’t exactly what he’d hoped would happen by showing himself, but what was going on? “So what’s wrong?”

 

            “You assume that something’s the matter already, Ichigo-san?” the cheeky shop owner asked, placing his fan closed on the coffee table in front of himself. What a curious and actually astute reaction Ichigo had.

 

            “Well since when do you take me aside to talk if something’s not wrong lately?” Ichigo crossed his arms and looked a little irritated. He was naïve sometimes…but not a fool.

 

            “Aaah, you’ve caught me there. Actually I’ve found out more about our resident Espada’s condition and why he is here with us in the world of the living,” Urahara explained with a light grin that slowly faded into a serious expression.

 

            Suddenly Ichigo started realizing that this was an absolutely sincere and serious discussion. He blinked at Urahara and relaxed his arms again, giving the man his undivided attention.

 

            “You seem like you care quite a bit Ichigo,” Urahara mentioned.

 

            Ichigo blinked, looking confused. He’d really thought this was supposed to be a serious matter but now Urahara was teasing him. “Huh? What’s your point anyway?” Ichigo urged with a slight tone that suggested complaint because Urahara was pointing to something that the young man didn’t want to be obvious.

 

            “I would only share this impactful information with someone who does genuinely care.” Urahara cleared his throat, “In my vast workshop I have a tank in which I suspend subjects in fluid if they are extremely difficult to analyze, and such has been the case with Grimmjow. The fluid in this tank is especially sensitive to the attributes of any given subject and through sensors in the tank and on the subject I can read the details which my sensors transmit as the attributes are processed. Now, a bit ago when you came to see Grimmjow’s arrancar body it was damaged and bleeding, do you remember that?”

 

            “How could I forget, it wasn’t long ago.”

 

            “During that instance Grimmjow’s gigai also collapsed here at your family residence at approximately the same time. His gigai and that arrancar body I now believe are linked extremely closely.”

 

            Ichigo’s eyes widened a little. Collapsed? Like…in the garage. Ichigo swallowed dryly.

 

            “Ichigo-san, are you alright?” Urahara had detected the change in Ichigo’s composure.

 

            “Yeah… Yeah I’m fine.”

 

            Nearby the colorful holiday lights on the Christmas tree were glimmering and helping to illuminate the space beautifully. A bunch of presents had been placed under the tree, likely the ones that Urahara and his band had just brought.

 

            “This is a very bad occurrence. After collapsing Isshin reported to me through the phone that Grimmjow’s gigai was pale and bleeding. The pallor is a sign that his ‘individuality’s’ linkage to the gigai was weakened significantly. The bleeding is a result of initial damage to his arrancar body. I don’t know if you’re aware of this Ichigo-san but Grimmjow hardly possesses, if any, regenerative abilities. Someone _covered up_ his unhealed injuries for him,” Urahara explained curtly. “While his arrancar body was in my tank the fluid eroded the cover-up that was holding all of his injuries together. Grimmjow was in grave shape. Yoruichi-san, Tessai-san and I had to administer emergency medical treatment the best we could after the cover-up came off. The rest of his injuries are deep lacerations, scrapes, bruises, internal bleeding and broken bones in many parts of that otherwise durable arrancar body. It’s still recovering.”

 

            Ichigo sat staring and forgetting his good composure. The opponent in question was probably from Hueco Mundo.

 

            “We treated Grimmjow not but a few hours ago. Isshin told me that Grimmjow was fine all day today but this discovery of extensive wounds is why I insisted on coming to visit your family earlier than intended. I wanted to fulfill my promise to you and explain what I’ve found out and warn you that Grimmjow may collapse again since you’re around him so often.”

 

            “I’m only his babysitter.”

 

            “Ichigo, there’s no need to defend yourself. What you’re doing is a great help. Unfortunately I’m warning you about this because the linkage to his gigai seems to be subject to _frequent_ strain. At the most extreme if his ‘identity’ gets away from that gigai he’ll die. Likewise if his arrancar body fails to recover…”

 

            From now on Ichigo tried to force himself to keep calm in the face of this conversation. With himself being the only one…well besides Kon…to know about the fact that Grimmjow had collapsed again, was it wise to tell Urahara and potentially blow their cover? It wouldn’t be just himself he’d embarrass… “So if his arrancar body dies…”

 

            “Then Grimmjow dies regardless. For now I urge you not worry, his body is at my shop and it is strapped down and hooked into several machines to regulate its vitals. He should be fine but do not misunderstand that this is a serious situation and requires constant monitoring. You’ll have to babysit a little longer.” The shop owner was very to the point with his explanation and warnings. Urahara started to take a plastic tube out of his green robe’s inner pockets and handed it to Ichigo. “This will help pull his ‘individuality’ back to the gigai if he collapses. Twenty milliliters at a time.”

 

            Ichigo reached to take the plastic tube and turned it around looking at it. The fluid was disgusting and greenish. “Why is the linkage straining so much?”

 

            Urahara frowned a little, “Stress. The exact ‘why’ isn’t in my scope of understanding though. I think only Grimmjow might know that.”

 

            “Ok…” That was not a very helpful answer. “What about his wounds?”

 

            Urahara’s hat partially shaded his eyes. “They’re very bad. Mortal in fact. I’m not sure how he survived before they were covered up, but if you think about it Ichigo the fact that his wounds were not healed but they were skillfully stabilized and hidden is suspicious.”

 

            “Well then someone’s covering their tracks.”

 

            “Bingo!” Urahara confirmed, lifting his head enough to make his eyes visible again. “What if I told you that the cover-up was made by kido?”

 

            Ichigo’s eyes popped wider. “Well then I would be suspicious of the defected captains. They’re the only ones who are regularly around Espadas with kido and I’ve heard nothing about Espadas fighting with the Court Guard squads. They would have asked for help.”

 

            “Bingo again,” Urahara praised. “All sharp deductions, Ichigo-san. Go on, the next question please.” He was actually enjoying answering smart questions.

 

            “What did Grimmjow fight?”

 

            Urahara’s hands folded together. “I was assuming that he’d just been violently expressing himself as we’ve known him to do. Destruction and all, but that’s not it.” Urahara lowered his hands to his lap and very subtly looked over his shoulder to make sure that the poker game was still holding everyone’s attention and it was. After a glance at the Kurosakis’ beautiful Christmas tree following this check the shop owner’s attention went back to Ichigo completely. He leveled his eyes with the young shinigami. “In the tank the analysis revealed several residual reiatsus _inside_ of Grimmjow, detected in the wounds and…otherwise.”

 

            Ichigo’s expression turned confused but instinctively disturbed. What did that mean..? Reiatsu signatures were like fingerprints, everyone had one and they were all unique - pressure from one’s reiryoku.

 

            “They belong to Sosuke Aizen, Kaname Tosen, who are our kido users, and various other arrancars who are Espadas. I believe they were tampering with Grimmjow’s reiryoku.”

 

            “So…they ganged up on him. Ask Orihime to heal him!”

 

            “These wounds are very steeped in strong reiatsu, Ichigo, and they will be difficult for her to reject. I will need more time before I decide if it’s safe to ask her for help. We do not want to put Inoue-san at risk.” Urahara attempted a smile, even a small one. “I am glad that Grimmjow is in good hands for now. Once again, please do not mention what we know to him. I’m afraid that it might make him unstable. He seems to have developed significantly human emotions as an arrancar, likely due to Aizen’s creation process.”

 

            “Grimmjow does _not_ care if he gets banged up and people gawk at his injuries. Why do you think he keeps his scars?” Ichigo responded flatly.

 

            Urahara sighed as it was now apparent that Ichigo didn’t quite understand that Grimmjow’s situation wasn’t from battle. He needed to make it clearer. “Imagine, if you will Ichigo, being forced to participate in a painful experiment that tugged on your very core of willpower and spiritual power _endlessly_. It weakened you and felt like your life and strength were being sucked out of your body. You fought back and it still depleted you and wore you down to the point where you couldn’t even fight back anymore. Now when you’re at your weakest point from this several _sick_ minds see fit to _humiliate_ and _torture_ you…and there is nothing you can do to fend them off.” Urahara stopped talking and there was a long period of silence where he was watching Ichigo just stare in mild horror.

 

            The hypothetical example refined Ichigo’s understanding. “But that’s…”

 

            Urahara drove the point home in his most discrete voice, “Grimmjow was _experimented_ on and _violated_ by means that are _humiliating_ and akin to _torture_.” The shop owner’s tone was somber. “It bothered him enough initially that he fled from Hueco Mundo and came here. To an arrancar with as much _developed_ pride in his power as Grimmjow has, as well as how much he cares about how strong he appears, knowing that we’ve figured out his humiliating situation would be catastrophic to him.” Urahara placed a hand sincerely on Ichigo’s shoulder, “Grimmjow is not a delicate flower but he’s not invincible, Ichigo. None of us are. Just treat him well and don’t tell him why.”

 

            Ichigo swallowed dryly. He was already on the road to being fine with helping Grimmjow but this news drove the nails in all the way. His protector’s heart really hurt. Somehow Ichigo resisted looking as distressed as he felt but his words didn’t cover it up well. “I really need some time with this…”

 

            “Take your time Ichigo-san. I know you care. Thank you. If your family requires further assistance one of us at the shop will always be available. We should be able to find a way to heal Grimmjow, even if it’s only his arrancar body.” With a pat or two Urahara gathered his fan and slipped out a string-bound booklet from his clothes and handed it to Ichigo. “This is the arrancar analysis I have so far based on Grimmjow. This copy is for you to keep.”

 

            Remembering that Urahara had said something about a draft a long time ago on the phone it was nice to finally get it now. Ichigo reached up and grasped the booklet, staring down at it with heavy thoughts still occupying his head. ‘Humiliated, violated… _tortured_. Ichigo was feeling the strongest shock of guilt he’d known for a while. He’d wished that Grimmjow would just go away, be somebody else’s problem…how cruel was that?

 

            Urahara could see that Ichigo was combating his thoughts again and stood up from the couch and let Ichigo have space to hash this out. Urahara walked back toward the dining table where the rest of them were still playing chestnut poker and joyfully chattering.

 

            Ichigo stayed on the couch and stared, with his mouth still slightly open and arms limply resting on his knees as he leaned over his lap, at the booklet. All of the turbulent strange things about Grimmjow’s presence here were suddenly pulled into one reason and Ichigo found himself wishing that he’d not allowed himself to wish that Grimmjow was gone.

 

            Out of sight in the dim clinic Grimmjow backed away from the cracked clinic door into the shadows of the room with a horrified look on his face. He had _very_ acute hearing.

 

            Having vanished from the living room but forgetting his booklet Ichigo’s first thought that called for action was to use that tube of nasty looking fluid on Grimmjow. Urahara had said it was for pulling Grimmjow back into the gigai if he collapsed. Ichigo hustled to the clinic and opened the door quickly.

 

            Already sitting upright and with a leg up on the edge of the cot and one foot on the ground Grimmjow froze on the edge and looked startled toward Ichigo.

 

            Ichigo thought that Grimmjow was just waking up. He could save that tube for later, which was probably good. “You’re awake…”

 

            “Uh…yeah. And..?” Grimmjow compressed his shame and hid it in the lowest depths known to himself. If Ichigo thought he didn’t know that was good enough for him. He’d prove that damn hat and clogs wearing scientist wrong. _‘Catastrophic my ass…’_ Grimmjow’s thoughts growled while he stared at Ichigo.

 

            “Um. Do you want water or something to eat? You passed out.”

 

            Was this pity? Grimmjow dreaded to think that it was pity. He piped up, “I know I passed out, whelp, and no.” He so aggressive, it seemed normal. Grimmjow got off of the cot and walked sans that coat and his shoes which Ichigo had removed before. “I have piss and you’re in my damn way, unless you’d rather I piss on your feet, _move_.” He waited in front of Ichigo who was in the doorway. Grimmjow had effectively chosen not to reveal his upset in people knowing about his humiliation. It was easy to be angry and cover it up.

 

            Ichigo moved aside without hesitation.

 

            Grimmjow shoulder checked Ichigo anyway as he went by.

 

            Ichigo caught his balance and glared after Grimmjow, “It wouldn’t kill you to be a little nice, asshole.”

 

            Grimmjow glared over his shoulder and stopped for a second. “True to form, I’m an asshole like you think and if I was nice that would put a kink in my style, so don’t ask me to be nice again.”

 

            Ichigo seethed a little. How could he have been worried about this guy?!

 

            Meanwhile during the drama Kon had gone missing without anyone noticing… Actually, Grimmjow had taped the annoying mod-soul under Isshin’s desk when he’d awoken…and there the mod-soul remained stuck. Oops.


	12. Excess Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: n/a
> 
> “ICE MELTS” IS FINISHED. THE REMAINING CHAPTERS I WILL PUBLISH OVER THE COURSE OF TODAY BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS AND THIS IS MY GIFT TO Y’ALL. STAY TUNED.

Twelfth Segment

_"Excess Tension"_

 

 

            After Ichigo was done playing his share of that chestnut poker and losing fabulously he really could appreciate Ururu’s skills. This game was hard. The family and guests were warming up hot apple cider and drinking it on the couches in the living room. Ichigo was sitting with them and laughing at his sisters who were embarrassing Jinta by asking if he had a girlfriend. Ichigo sipped on his second cup of cider and among the friendly gathering he wasn’t immune to remembering Grimmjow who had not said another word, not come back down from upstairs where he’d disappeared to after leaving the clinic and not made a sound. Ichigo slipped out of the group discretely, bringing the booklet he forgot earlier with him in a back pocket, and only a couple of people noticed but left him alone.

 

            Ichigo went into the kitchen and poured another mug of cider and topped his off. Grimmjow would probably throw this offering in his face but he could at least try he supposed. Leaving the kitchen Ichigo went to the stairs.

 

            “Not feeling well son?” Isshin remarked, unable to see that Ichigo was holding two mugs.

 

            “Yeah I’m a little worn out. I’m just going to bed.”

 

            Everyone seemed to wave and wish him goodnight.

 

            “Oh Ichigo-san!” Urahara called cheerfully.

 

            “Hmm?” Ichigo wondered what now.

 

            “Expect a phone call!” Urahara informed.

 

            “Sure.” With that Ichigo left the room and climbed the stairs. A phone call about what? His thoughts wondered and Ichigo’s eyes were more serious as he minded where he was going- Hold on a minute, the hallway up here was super dark. Ichigo reached the top of the stairs and every single light was off and from what he could tell all of the lights were off. Warily he walked up the hallway. “Grimmjow if you’re screwing with me _don’t_. I have drinks that’ll spill.” It didn’t seem like the warning was drawing any Espadas out of the shadows and Ichigo wondered where Grimmjow could be. Opening his bedroom door he found his room dark except for the curtains over his bed pulled wide open and Grimmjow was sitting cross-legged toward the window on his bed’s covers. Ichigo closed his door with the nudge of his foot and carried the two mugs over to his desk where he set them on a loose sheet of paper. “What have I told you about sitting on my bed?” He also placed the booklet on the desk.

 

            “Thought it was just naked men that bothered you.”

 

            Ichigo frowned. “Um no.”

 

            “We just fucked. Why do you still care if I sit on your bed?”

 

            Grimmjow had a good point but that wasn’t what Ichigo wanted to hear. Actually giving up on an argument faster than usual Ichigo started to take off his clothes and threw his shirt at the back of Grimmjow’s head and nailed his aim.

 

            Grimmjow tensed. The lights went out! One minute he was staring at the full moon and the next he couldn’t see. He pulled the shirt off and dropped it on the bed without turning around. Back to staring out of the window.

 

            Over by Ichigo’s closet now as he changed into sleeping attire Ichigo was watching and wondering why hitting Grimmjow with a shirt had such lackluster effect. Even though he complained about Grimmjow being on his bed Ichigo was apparently fine being naked behind Grimmjow, this conflict of preference didn’t exactly make sense. …unless Grimmjow being on his bed didn’t actually irk Ichigo. The shinigami started to pull a long-sleeved shirt out of the closet and then sweatpants which he slid into then pulled the shirt snuggly over his head. “Are you off of my bed yet?” Ichigo turned around to see and realized as he stared at an unmoving Grimmjow that the Espada wasn’t in the same clothing that he had been. “Are those my sweats?”

 

            “Your _what?_ ” Grimmjow asked in bewilderment and that earned a look over the shoulder.

 

            “My sweatpants and my sweatshirt. Why are you wearing them without asking me?”

 

            “You weren’t exactly around to ask.”

 

            “I was right downstairs!” Ichigo kicked his dirty clothes into the closet, he’d deal with them later and rolled the door shut. He’d absolutely forgotten about the cider and came to the bed, ignoring the fact that he hadn’t brushed his teeth or showered off his day.

 

            Grimmjow felt the tugging of covers as his stubborn host climbed under them and settled in to sleep. Why was Ichigo not giving him a harder time about leaving? Namely his room right now but in general too. Still unmoved from sitting before the window Grimmjow stared at the settled shinigami.

 

            Ichigo actually fell asleep despite this would-be awkward situation and he did so in very few minutes.

 

            When Ichigo was clearly out Grimmjow sighed and let his neutral expression fall into a frown, his eyes looked toward the desk where there were still two mugs of cider which he’d been able to smell since Ichigo had come in. He hated pity. It made him feel weak. Grimmjow moved from the window and lay down on top of the covers with his back to Ichigo’s back and used a forearm as his pillow. Suppose this was ‘goodnight’.


	13. Ice Grace, Ice Skates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: n/a
> 
> “ICE MELTS” IS FINISHED. THE REMAINING CHAPTERS I WILL PUBLISH OVER THE COURSE OF TODAY BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS AND THIS IS MY GIFT TO Y’ALL. STAY TUNED.

Thirteenth Segment

_"Ice Grace, Ice Skates"_

 

 

_[Christmas Eve at an outdoor mall in Karakura…]_

            Dressed in his winter garb of jeans with thermals under them and a coat over a sweater, Ichigo was laughing with his bunch of friends Keigo, Mizuiro, Orihime, Tatsuki, Chad and Uryu as they tromped around the various holiday decorated stores in search of fun knickknacks to buy for each other. Candles, candies, dishes, clothes, games, everything was around to be bought and sold at Christmastime.

 

            One wouldn’t even have guessed that there was another person to this group but Grimmjow was back behind them somewhere. The Espada had been put into fresh jeans but there were no thermals to share with him so his muscled legs would just have to tolerate the chill. To compensate there were warm black socks on Grimmjow’s feet in black tennis shoes and he had on two layers on over his torso – a large black sweater borrowed from Isshin and a grey long sleeved shirt under it borrowed from Ichigo. Why anyone was still being so nice and constantly lending him clothing was beyond the scope of Grimmjow’s understanding. Even Yuzu had shared one of her blue scarves with Grimmjow and the Espada was still wearing it around his neck in a coil. On this excursion to an obscenely busy place Grimmjow didn’t try to talk to any humans and every time someone even acknowledged him he growled like a beast or glared.

 

            Eventually Ichigo’s group stopped trying to communicate.

 

            By now, it had been an hour, Grimmjow was bored out of his skull following them around and tired of being jostled by other humans in this crowded ‘mall’ place. Independently Grimmjow found his way away from the gaggle of humans without being noticed and stomped off alone through a park by the mall. The trees were covered in snow, the air was cold and Grimmjow was pleased to be out of that herd. Somewhere in the park a band was playing quality traditional music for the season and it rang true through the air. Listening to the tune the lone Espada approached a frozen lake reserved for ice-skating in the park. He’d never seen this sport before. The blades on these people’s shoes really reminded him of his resurreccion’s arm and leg blades, only they didn’t cut as deeply into the ice as that form’s weapons would.

 

            The people skating on the lake were all sorts. Children, parents, teenagers and some of the people out there were doing tricks, like spins and fast turns.

 

            The more Grimmjow watched by the bank of the lake the more he wanted to try this sport. Scouting he walked around the lake to a building on the far side that said ‘skates’ in huge bold figures where some people were gathered. Grimmjow recognized the bladed shoes that the skaters wore as the same shoes which were being handed out here. Grimmjow packed away his scowl as he tried to look neutral and walked up to the rental building’s counter when there was a space open.

 

            “Can I help you?” a clerk asked.

 

            “I need those things,” Grimmjow pointed to pairs of skates on the wall behind the counter and jammed his hand back into his pocket.

 

            “Well I need an ID and twenty dollars to help you,” the clerk informed.

 

            Grimmjow frowned deeply. He’d need human currency to rent these. Damnit. Stupid human currency and what the fuck as an ‘ID’? Fully knowing that he was far from obtaining either of these Grimmjow just walked away without another the word and found a tree to lean up against. He stayed there, staring out at the large frozen lake as people skated along in one rotation.

 

            “Oi, Grimmjow-saaan.”

 

            Sharply Grimmjow’s ears perked up. He knew that voice and turned his head to see Urahara with his usual striped hat and green robe but instead of unique wooden clogs his feet were in boots. That catty lady Yoruichi was right there with him in an orange and black form-fitting ski suit with a massive orange scarf around her neck. They were approaching with armfuls of bags. What the hell were they doing out here?

 

            “You’re out by yourself?” the blonde shopkeeper wanted to know.

 

            “The humans are shopping. I wanted to do this.” Grimmjow nodded at the lake.

 

            Urahara noticed the lack of ice skates with Grimmjow, “Hmm? Ice-skating? They didn’t give you any money?”

 

            Grimmjow shrugged. He wasn’t exactly complaining but it would have been nice if Ichigo or someone had.

 

            “We can’t have that,” Urahara mentioned.

 

            Clued in quickly Yoruichi immediately went into Kisuke’s green robe’s pockets and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill.

 

            Urahara didn’t protest.

 

            Yoruichi held out the currency to Grimmjow who looked between her shapely gloved hand to her eyes twice before taking it.

 

            “We have to keep shopping ourselves…” Urahara looked at Yoruichi who nodded. “…but take care until after Christmas.” He was hoping that with the Kurosaki family Grimmjow would have a good holiday after all of the crap that the Espada had been through. Decent people, even arrancars, deserved a break.

 

            Hearing that out of the blonde man was only slightly reassuring. Grimmjow was a skeptic. “Sure.” He watched as the familiar two walked off through the trees and was quickly drawn back to staring out at the lake. ‘Ice-skating’ it was called huh? Suppose he would try to get skates from that clerk again, Grimmjow left the tree and walked back over to the rental building through the stomped down snow. He stopped at the counter again and the same clerk recognized him but Grimmjow showed them the bill he was holding. “Left my ID at home.” Whatever the fuck an ID was he’d heard humans make this excuse before and it was rumored to be a good one.

 

            The clerk sighed and just wanted this guy out of their hair. They checked the bill – it was real. “It’s fine… What shoe size are you sir?” they asked while getting the thirty extra dollars in change and returning that amount to Grimmjow’s hand.

 

            Pocketing the extra currency Grimmjow frowned. A shoe size? He didn’t fucking know that.

 

            The clerk looked unamused but they wandered toward the wall of skates and removed a typical man’s size of black skates and walked them over to the counter. “Try these…”

 

            Grimmjow leaned on the side of the building and tried one of them on. These were too small, so Grimmjow handed them back and explained that they cramped his feet. The clerk ventured to the hung skates and brought him another pair just like the others in design and color but a size larger. When Grimmjow put one of these on they fit just fine! Grimmjow laced the one up to be sure and also proved that he knew how to tie laced boots and didn’t need help.

 

            “Enjoy the lake, sir. Make sure to go around the same direction as everyone else and if you or someone else gets hurt come back to the stand and we’ll get someone to help.” The clerk was then back to assisting other customers.

 

            Not phased by the quick service, Grimmjow took off the one skate he’d tried on and walked in his tennis shoes to the bank of the frozen lake. All he had to do out there was not run into anyone else. He sat down in the snow and put the skates on his feet and laced them both and tapped them to make sure they were on snuggly. Grimmjow was loathe to admit it but he was actually pretty content right now, maybe even close to happy. The Espada straightened his clothes as he stood up and left his black tennis shoes in the snow because he didn’t figure it mattered; no one would fuck around with someone else’s used shoes and they’d be sorry if they touched his. Then Grimmjow stepped out onto the ice.

 

            At first he felt weird, didn’t wobble though because his body was strong and his balance was honed, but he was just sliding slowly…effortlessly. _‘Ice-skating,’_ his brain recalled the name of this human sport. While moving along slowly and out of the way Grimmjow stretched a bit, similarly to before training for fighting and sparring, as he stayed close to the edge of the lake. It felt good to go slow at first, and if it felt good to go slow…it probably felt even better to go faster. Grimmjow finished stretching the dexterous and flexible gigai that was modeled exactly after his original body then figured out how to shuffle his skates to make himself go faster over the ice and meshed with the better skaters. He glided a long way on the skates and jammed his hands into his jeans’ pockets. His legs were warming up from working out like this. After once around the lake’s rotation Grimmjow naturally migrated to the faster strip of skaters in the inner rotation where he hung the curves of the oval with great control. It did feel better to go faster.

 

            Realizing that in the eye of the rotation there were people just doing tricks like spins and kicks and swooping slides Grimmjow decided that was the next thing he needed to try… Simply gliding on ice without challenging himself was not what Grimmjow was about.

 

            The Espada was on the ice for three hours. It was getting dark.

 

            By now Ichigo was starting to freak out a little. Where had Grimmjow gone?! He hadn’t noticed Grimmjow leave when he was with his friends and had unsettling visions of the aggressive and hotblooded Espada getting a hold of a human and punching their lights out or something else that would get Grimmjow detained. Ichigo really hadn’t meant to lose track of him. All of Ichigo’s companions had gone home and it was just him alone and searching. “Damnit where is he?!” Ichigo grumbled to himself, leaving the thinning crowd around the mall and jogging through the park looking every which way, even up in the trees. He huffed warm air. _‘I’m going to freaking maim him if he is maiming someone else…’_ Ichigo slowed and then stopped, arriving at and looking out to the ice-skating lake with hardly any people left skating as it got close to dark; maybe five or six on that huge lake. Ichigo’s eyes widened as he saw a tall and broad-shouldered man with shorter blue hair gliding along with both hands in his pockets on a _single_ skate with the other pointing out behind him. The man leaned forward and glided fast over the many-times marked ice.

 

            The Espada just carried on his way with no mind for anything but himself out here, or at the minimum avoiding the other lingering skaters which was pretty easy with less people.

 

            Ichigo gawked. He started to realize that some of the remaining people around the lake were watching Grimmjow too… He wondered why.

 

            Grimmjow didn’t notice anyone else, he was just enjoying himself and gracefully turned around backwards and shuffled his skates to get momentum then just hooked a curve on the lake with both of his skates inline and leaned as the momentum his lean provided pulled him along.

 

            Cat-like grace. Maybe Yoruichi was the only one who could match that but Grimmjow’s way was all his own style. As Ichigo continued to gawk from the tree line while holding his shopping bags he was glad that Grimmjow couldn’t see him because Ichigo didn’t want Grimmjow to get self-conscious and stop.

 

            Without anyone in his way Grimmjow skated backward swiftly then whipped himself around with a whirl and skated in one direction. He followed up with consecutive spins to travel in that one same direction. When he came out of a final spin by another curve of the lake Grimmjow swiped one leg through the air, the wind whistled past his limb and the sharp blade of the skate and followed that curve with ease. Moving forward again out of the curve with speed, Grimmjow transitioned into a single-skate glide again, leaning further forward than before and pointing his lifted leg’s toe back.

 

            Ichigo unconsciously bit his lip. That asshole…what was Grimmjow thinking showing off like that..? He’d get noticed…and with such a great display of grace and strength people would wonder if he was even human, which he wasn’t. Then again who would confront him…when he was king of grace and ice out on that lake? Ichigo satisfied himself to watching Grimmjow practice the tricks and turns for another half an hour while the sun set. He’d never thought he could stare so long at Grimmjow and not be angry.

 

            Grimmjow went around a few more times until it was called out on a loudspeaker that skating was closing up shop on the lake. He would’ve stayed out longer. The Espada slid over to the edge of the lake and looked for his black tennis shoes right where he’d left them. They were there, soaked, but there. He sat on the snowy bank and exchanged the skates on his feet for the cold, soaked shoes. Without complaint Grimmjow then carried the black skates back over to the rental building. “Can I keep these?” he asked the same clerk who had helped him before but not without using common sense and offering the thirty dollars change he’d been given back earlier.

 

            The clerk stared at the man a little bewildered, “You want to buy _used_ skates?”

 

            To Grimmjow they were just getting broken-in and these black ones were actually in decent condition with good blades, leather and laces. “Yeah I guess.”

 

            The clerk sighed. They weren’t dumb, this customer had been out there for so long for a reason and they weren’t about to squash his fun even if he was odd and didn’t know his shoe size. “Ok I guess.” They took ten dollars out of the thirty, very fair, and handed the other twenty back.

 

            Feeling like he’d been treated pretty fair Grimmjow pocketed the twenty and boggled when something else was put on the counter for him. Plastic covers for the blades on the skates.

 

            “You put them on the bottom so they don’t get dull or hurt anyone.”

 

            Once Grimmjow picked those things up and clipped them onto the skates’ blades after drying them off he nodded respectfully to the clerk then started to walk away from the building feeling pretty alright about this! He could skate somewhere else now if he wanted to. With the covered skates tied together at the laces and over his shoulder Grimmjow hands jammed into his pockets again. He could feel the cold setting in as he approached the tree line and the sun was pretty much gone.

 

            “Hey stranger,” Ichigo chirped.

 

            Grimmjow was surprised and stopped just as he got to the trees.

 

            Ichigo was standing around with his furry winter coat’s hood up and holding a bundle of bags by the loops in both hands. His face was a little red from being cold but nothing compared to Grimmjow’s who’d had the winter wind blasting in his face for three hours. Ichigo could only see the color on Grimmjow’s face because of a lamppost nearby. “You look cool- cold! Um…c’mon… I was going to head home.” Fucking Freudian slips. Ichigo nodded and started to walk.

 

            Grimmjow quietly followed along, he wished these soaked tennis shoes weren’t freezing his feet.

 

 

_[Night at a café outside of the mall on their way home…]_

            Grimmjow stared at the steaming mug by his hands. The beverage in that smelled ridiculously sweet. Otherwise he was just glad to be inside a warm building for a little while so that he could get the feeling back in his body. Damn these thin human skins, they were so sensitive _all_ the time. It was bad enough that Ichigo had noticed him shivering, but he supposed the fact that Ichigo was shivering too made his not _as bad_.

 

            Ichigo was already gladly drinking his own hot chocolate as they sat at a table in the warm and atmospheric café. “You don’t like it?”

 

            “It smells strong.”

 

            “Don’t be so picky. It’s good. Taste it,” Ichigo reassured.

 

            Grouchily Grimmjow picked up the mug and sniffed the sugary beverage one more time before actually taking a sip.

 

            Behind the mouth of his own mug Ichigo smiled about the surprised expression that popped onto Grimmjow’s face next.

 

            “What the fuck is this?” It was so good…

 

            “It’s hot chocolate. Really good during the winter because it’s sweet and warm.” Ichigo set his mug down with his hands around it, warming them. His fingers were glad to warm up and burned just a little from coming to such warmth abruptly after being bare in the cold for a few hours on and off.

 

            Grimmjow drank the rest of the rich hot chocolate drink fast and put the mug down, pushing it toward Ichigo and staring at the young man with a pathetic look. He wasn’t actually going to verbally ask for another…but he was going to imply that he wanted one.

 

            Getting the message Ichigo sighed and rolled his eyes. He was actually happy to indulge Grimmjow and picked up the Espada’s mug, leaving his own on the table. “Don’t drink mine.”

 

            “If I wanted your damn germs I’d-”

 

            “Don’t even finish that sentence,” Ichigo pointed a finger in warning before he walked off to get Grimmjow another hot chocolate.

 

            Grimmjow stopped, because if he didn’t he figured that Ichigo might not get him another one of those delicious drinks. When Ichigo came back and handed Grimmjow the refilled mug Grimmjow held onto it and waited for Ichigo to sit down to start drinking it.

 

            That was polite of Grimmjow, Ichigo had noticed, and after sitting he sipped at his own mug again. Buying Grimmjow something warm to drink was the least that he could do for losing track of the Espada and practically ignoring it for the first hours because Grimmjow had been so unfriendly before. Ichigo delicately reminded himself of why he should be understanding…and the remembrance of Grimmjow’s image gliding across the ice with such graceful smoothness was bliss that added to his tolerance. He didn’t know anyone who could move skates like that.

 

            “Is it your favorite?” Grimmjow asked into his mug with his eyes peering over before he had another swallow.

 

            Ichigo snapped out of his happy stupor and couldn’t help a small one-sided smile. He knew what Grimmjow was talking about – hot chocolate. “It is, but I also like peppermint coffee.”

 

 

_[The Kurosaki residence, an hour later…]_

            Ichigo walked in the front door with Grimmjow behind him and sighed long, glad to be home. He’d had way too many sweets, which still held nothing to the three mugs of hot chocolate, lone peppermint coffee, three cake-pops and crispy panini – the only not sugary item – that Grimmjow had to eat at the café. Arriving inside the warm house on the stone landing by the front door Ichigo realized that his residence seemed dark and quiet. “Everyone’s probably in bed, be quiet,” Ichigo told the Espada who shut the front door as Ichigo was taking off his shoes and hanging up his coat.

 

            Grimmjow gladly kicked off the soaked tennis shoes and removed his coat and scarf, tossing them on top of the shoes and pulling off his soaked socks too as the ice skates dangled from his shoulder.

 

            Ichigo frowned, realizing for the first time that Grimmjow had been walking in soaked shoes for a time. Ichigo also picked up the coat and scarf which Grimmjow had cast down and hung them up beside his own. He brushed his hands to smooth them on their hooks respectfully. When Ichigo turned around again from finishing that though Grimmjow was gone, and the ice skates were left by the soaked shoes. Not terribly concerned Ichigo picked up his shopping bags and carried them into the warm house after locking up the front door. He was quiet, looking around to see if anyone was in the living room.

 

            There was. Isshin snored slightly, bundled in a blanket on one of the couches where Grimmjow normally slept. The man was surrounded by rolls of wrapping paper, bows and tags.

 

            Ichigo sighed and smiled at his old man who’d tired himself out wrapping up presents. Moving on without making much noise, Ichigo climbed the stairs to the second floor and quietly carried the shopping bags to his bedroom. As Ichigo passed closed doors in the hallway he’d noticed a light on under the washroom door. Grimmjow was probably in there, but Ichigo was mostly thinking about how he’d have to wrap all of these presents quickly in the morning because tomorrow was Christmas. Well… _most_ of them… The young shinigami noiselessly pushed open his bedroom door and took the bags to his closet where he started unpacking and hiding the gifts in there. The bulky bags which they’d come in were folded up to be recycled and set aside. Most of those gifts had come in plain white boxes already anyway and they would be easier to wrap up that way without bulky bags. Making sure to set a blanket over his hidden presents, like a cat hiding its favorite mouse toy, Ichigo slid his closet closed and stood up. Suppose he should make sure that Grimmjow was feeling well and warming up ok. Returning to the hallway Ichigo approached the closed washroom door and knocked softly. “Grimmjow?”

 

            There was a grouchy ‘what’ from the other side.

 

            “Are your feet ok? I noticed your shoes were soaked.”

 

            “I’m fine.”

 

            “Are you sure?”

 

            “I said I’m fine!”

 

            Well that was definitely Grimmjow. “Hey, just tonight you can sleep in my room because my dad’s already on the couch,” Ichigo mentioned quietly against the door. He heard the shower switch on with a hiss and just left the conversation at that. If Grimmjow had heard him, which the Espada probably had, then it was fine. Ichigo moved back to his bedroom to get dressed for sleep and find extra blankets and socks for Grimmjow.


	14. Peppermint Kiss Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: hot buuuttseeecs
> 
> “ICE MELTS” IS FINISHED. THE REMAINING CHAPTERS I WILL PUBLISH OVER THE COURSE OF TODAY BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS AND THIS IS MY GIFT TO Y’ALL. STAY TUNED.

Fourteenth Segment

_"Peppermint Kiss Me"_

 

            After a half an hour Grimmjow was done with his shower and could feel his feet again thankfully. He didn’t want Ichigo to know how numb they’d gotten. The Espada ruffled his hair and patted his body dry with a large towel as he stared at the shower-tub’s plastic fish barrier which he’d learned to get along with since they’d first met. Still a moronic human design though. Then he rinsed his mouth out with water from the washroom sink but he could still taste that peppermint coffee after rinsing out the scummy feeling on his tongue. It was persistent but actually pleasant and on par with that chocolate drink, but the aftertaste of peppermint was far more intense. Grimmjow inspected himself in the washroom mirror, rubbing a hand over the slight blue hairs that had started to grow in a light stubble over the gigai’s jaw. This didn’t happen to his arrancar body, but Grimmjow knew what a beard was and the stubble didn’t bother him, especially since it was barely there.

 

            Dropping the towel on the floor Grimmjow pulled on the sweatpants he’d been wearing a night ago and carried his clothes from today in a stacked pile over one forearm and left the washroom after switching off the light. He’d heard Ichigo mention sleeping in the same room but he wasn’t sure if he trusted the shinigami to mean what he said. Ichigo was learning to mess with him as much as he messed with Ichigo. Up the hallway Grimmjow pushed open the shinigami’s bedroom door with one hand and stopped dead in his place.

 

            The curtains over the window were wide open, and the still fairly full moon outside was lighting up a lot of the room across from the window. More importantly though, Ichigo was sitting on the edge of his bed and leaning back on his hands with _nothing but_ striped thigh-high stretchy stockings and a red pair of underwear on his person. Those stockings were red and white. Looking very comfortable Ichigo had clearly been waiting for Grimmjow to wander in, and with the ankle of a shapely leg resting on his opposite knee Ichigo slowly tapped that foot while waiting. The second that Grimmjow opened that door Ichigo made dead-on eye contact with him in a sultry stare.

 

            That…was an instant boner right there. Effectively stopped in his tracks Grimmjow’s surprise narrowed into skepticism as he remembered himself and walked in then closed the door, tossing the clothes he carried aside carelessly on the floor. He crossed his arms against his bare chest. “Where do I sleep?”

 

            “Here.” Ichigo patted the top of his bed. He’d managed to get cleaned up downstairs in the clinic’s shower and washroom faster than Grimmjow, and made it back upstairs with a few minutes to spare. This had been a decision Ichigo was pondering since he’d found Grimmjow sleeping on his bed this morning.

 

            Grimmjow’s eyes drifted to the sexy form-fitting stockings, shown plainly by the moonlight, then slowly back up to Ichigo’s face. “You won’t smother me in my sleep?”

 

            “Nope,” Ichigo confirmed still waiting without changing position. “Are you going to lock the door?”

 

            Grimmjow’s brows went up. This was actually Ichigo, the same guy who was constantly fighting with him whether it was swords, fists or words. This was that same shinigami making an absolutely rock-solid pass at him…and this was not the sort of opportunity to be passed up. “You should get off Ichigo’s bed, he gets pissed when men sit on it,” Grimmjow remarked while he leaned to turn the lock on the door. He was just going to _pretend_ that he didn’t know that this was Ichigo.

 

            “Without permission,” the shinigami elaborated. “And I make the rules…it is _my_ bed…”

 

            Grimmjow started to walk over with both heavily muscled arms at his sides and his hands in the sweatpants’ pockets. “I don’t believe you’re actually that damn shinigami.” Even though he knew better. As he walked up nothing else in the room had Grimmjow’s attention more than Ichigo’s leanly muscled form sitting there. Ichigo lowered his crossed leg when the Espada got closer and Grimmjow watched the muscles in his legs. Damn those stockings fit good on strong thighs.

 

            Ichigo rolled his eyes, “Just hurry up, it’s so cold my nipples hurt.”

 

            Grimmjow leaned down, and backing Ichigo onto covers more the fact that he climbed over top of Ichigo forced Ichigo to lay down with his calves hanging off of the edge of the bed. “Do they?”

 

            Ichigo nodded and followed Grimmjow’s head as it lowered to his chest and there was a smooth warmth as the Espada licked straight across one of the perfectly erect nubs on his pec. Ichigo exhaled as the light feeling in his gut and the warm sensation of Grimmjow’s tongue lit him up. He felt more sunken into the bed sheets and covers as Grimmjow kept licking over his nipples, going between the two to see that they got equal treatment, until they were just a little less tense.

 

            Now lifting his head up Grimmjow moved his lips to Ichigo’s mouth and put one of his knees between the shinigami’s thighs and pushed up.

 

            Ichigo felt the pressure against his synthetic polymer underwear press upward just after beginning that kiss and leaned down a little bit to milk that grind for all he could. It was helping him get harder and…Grimmjow tasted like peppermint and something strong. Grimmjow’s jaw was slightly stubbly, Ichigo didn’t even realize until now when he touched the man’s face. That was a very enjoyable kiss, swapping tongues and lips back and forth with the flavor and the heat. Ichigo did draw back from the kiss eventually as he squirmed impatiently against the knee his groin was grinding against.

 

            Grimmjow reached down and gripped Ichigo’s erection over the smooth fabric of the red underwear and massaged at it while watching Ichigo squirm under him. “Where’s that stupid barrier thing you put on me last time?”

 

            Playful, Ichigo grabbed two handfuls of Grimmjow’s heavy pecs and squeezed. “I don’t care if you use one this time…” he sounded as eager as he looked squirming against the covers like that. In a strong shove Ichigo managed to push Grimmjow over so that they were reversed and Grimmjow was the one laying back-down on the bed with his calves hanging off of the edge. Ichigo sat on his stomach with both of Grimmjow’s pecs in his strong hands’ grasp.

 

            This was also fine. Grimmjow had no problems with being straddled. The Espada blinked and moved his hands to pull the stretchy underwear on Ichigo aside without removing them. Otherwise, the erection in Grimmjow’s sweatpants just behind Ichigo’s toned rear was seriously pushing up on the black fabric that had yet to be pulled down. Grimmjow felt a charge run through his core. He actually preferred fooling around like this with the gigai, everything felt more intense in a really good way.

 

            Ichigo felt his erect cock and smooth balls slide from the fabric’s captivity and his balls slipped down and rested on Grimmjow’s ripped abs while his flushed cock jutted straight up. “Aaah…that feels good.”

 

            Grimmjow shook his head, “Be a pal and pull my pants down while you’re sitting up there.” Then he literally put his arms up and hands behind his head.

 

            Scowling softly Ichigo complained, “You’re so lazy.” Ichigo bent one of his own legs up and took one side of his bright red underwear off so that they just hung on his thigh. Then Ichigo reached with a slight pivot of his core and pulled down on both sides of Grimmjow’s sweatpants by the hips. The Espada’s massive erection swung up from its previous confinement and swayed high with veins along its shaft throbbing. Ichigo chewed on his lip to hide his grin at the impressive erection, and eagerly he leaned to get a bottle from his bedside table in the top drawer.

 

            Grimmjow didn’t expect whatever Ichigo was doing to take so long but he was glad he’d kicked back. “You done playin’ with yourself? I’d kinda like to play with ya too.”

 

            “Be patient!” Ichigo growled, and opening the lubricant’s cap he pivoted slightly again and squeezed the bottle enough to get the fluid to drain generously.

 

            Grimmjow felt the room temperature and thick fluid meet the glans of his cock and roll down the sides of the shaft in large amounts. He shuddered and wondered what the fuck that was and why it felt so good. “What the hell?”

 

            “It’s lube. Without a condom you’ve gotta have something to help slide this monster in.” Ichigo drained literally the whole bottle and, after tossing the empty plastic container at his trashcan by his study desk, Ichigo swiped some of the excess dripping lubricant from Grimmjow’s balls for himself.

 

            Being less lazy now, the Espada sat up a little and reached around Ichigo’s form as the shinigami was playing with pink asshole to get ready and wrapped a hand around himself. Stroking up once Grimmjow’s hand got slathered with the lubricant on himself then he lay back down and took to smearing that amount over Ichigo’s cock with long strokes using both hands as the slippery fluid spread around.

 

            Ichigo squirmed some more. His muscles flexed and showed especially in his legs against those leggings as his thighs squeezed Grimmjow’s core. Grimmjow better watch how intense he made this or he’d get it in the face accidentally. Ichigo started to lift his backend up and positioned his ass straight over Grimmjow’s venous cock and grabbed it just under the glans. Eagerly he took a deep breath and exhaled as he lowered onto the slippery erection and helped push the fat tip into his small pink hole.

 

            Grimmjow grinned as he felt the heat and arousal spreading through his whole body with the heated squeeze, and continued stroking his slippery hands over Ichigo’s erect cock. Ichigo’s body was squeezing like crazy, even when Ichigo was relaxed enough to get it in, the shinigami was just on the edge of being able to handle Grimmjow’s girth. This was the fucking best.

 

            As his asshole slid down over the glans and Ichigo got stretched and he squirmed and writhed pleasurably from the waist up, spine arching and with one hand still holding onto Grimmjow’s shaft to guide it in. Ichigo’s other arm was bent up against himself and that hand was pining at his ribs. To start Ichigo had a burning feeling but he adjusted quicker this time to being penetrated and his whole body cranked up the temperature by what felt like several degrees. His heart absolutely pounded at the thrilling sensation.

 

            For a time Grimmjow’s cock just pushed up squarely against Ichigo’s prostate. He like to watch Ichigo squirm and milk that position. Then with his cock progressing to halfway in, Grimmjow wasn’t able to help the slight movement of his hips to kind of already start pumping Ichigo full. Gradual as the movement was for now, Grimmjow was gritting his teeth because it was so hard to not viciously start impaling Ichigo. The amount of pleasure rampaging through his groin and making his balls tense was perfectly intense.

 

            As Ichigo started to feel like Grimmjow was far enough in and wouldn’t slip out he let go of the massive cock and faced straight forward. Now he grabbed Grimmjow’s wrists. Those hands were still stroking his erection and Ichigo slid his own hands up over the Espada’s and made Grimmjow’s fingers and palms push down exactly where he knew was good. With shuddering gasps and low moans Ichigo was moving on top and loving that dual sensation. His nipples were painfully hard again.

 

            This time Grimmjow didn’t need to work as hard to pound Ichigo…Ichigo took care of that. As soon as Grimmjow was resting balls deep, and this felt pretty damn satisfying without that barrier, Ichigo lifted his ass and dropped it. Grimmjow’s shoulders went up and he groaned deeply.

 

            Ichigo did it again…and again, flexing the muscle of his thighs and still encouraging Grimmjow’s hand on the perfect way to stroke his cock. What a coordinated powerbottom.

 

            Grimmjow grinned something toothy as he still brought his hips up with slight thrusts to meet Ichigo’s pounding ass. Fuck that was hot and Grimmjow felt sweat rolling off of his neck and chest. When that flesh collided it smacked together and kept smacking together as the pace got heady.

 

            It was Grimmjow’s huge cock’s fault that this was so mercilessly heady and sublime. Always blame big cocks, they were too damn irresistible. Ichigo was slowly losing his mind to intense euphoria and starting to look like he was about to fall over so Grimmjow grabbed him before that happened and rolled Ichigo over onto the bed again. Grimmjow had let Ichigo lay down then kneeling behind the shinigami Ichigo felt Grimmjow pick up his backend by the thighs. Ichigo stared down between his legs at the muscled body pushing and pounding a huge cock in and out of his asshole and opened his mouth shakily, “Harder.” He wasn’t just being cliché, he wanted to feel how hard Grimmjow could fuck.

 

            Sweating from the sensational effort this was already requiring, Grimmjow seemed to be keeping himself together a world better than Ichigo, who looked dazed by pleasure, yet he was feeling just the same with a whirlwind of sexual euphoria pouring through his body and making him ravenous. “You got a damn death wish?” he asked, still holding up Ichigo’s thighs with a tight grip and already pounding the shinigami pretty hard from his new position.

 

            Ichigo’s toes in the feet of those stockings curled and rubbed up against Grimmjow’s partly exposed and savagely toned ass as he let them hang behind the Espada. “Just do it…tear me in _half_.”

 

            Shrugging because Ichigo was digging his own erotic grave while Grimmjow was absolutely fine with being allowed to ravage the shinigami harder, Grimmjow gripped Ichigo’s thighs tighter, crushingly, the stockings around them were slipping a little. If Ichigo passed out from the heady sensation he would just worry about it then. For now Grimmjow’s hips snapped with thrusts hard enough to make the connecting flesh’s slaps echo off the bedroom walls. His balls swayed, dripping with fluids and his whole core, back and butt flexed with the hardest bucking he’d ever put someone through.

 

            Ichigo desperately jerked at his own cock with one hand and bit into the side of the other’s palm as his eyes squeezed shut. His body was writhed with sweat, pain and pleasure. This was a true ravaging and it felt pretty fucking intense. After minutes explosive streams of cum shot out of Ichigo’s cock and splashed himself across the face and chest as Ichigo’s body convulsed and writhed with the peak of his pleasure for the evening. It was like he didn’t even have a brain in his head during these two or so minutes where he was so satisfied that all his body wanted to do was grind against the girth spreading his ass and buck into his own hand. There was _nothing_ but that intense and overwhelming pleasure to Ichigo. Were it not for the side of his hand in his mouth the young man would have probably screamed.

 

            Grimmjow got squeezed something fierce over and over and that just made him go harder to increase the friction and push himself. He got a perfect view of Ichigo’s climax and the shinigami really looked like he’d lost his mind writhing in ecstasy like that. Pleased with his work Grimmjow was only half composed through that tight holding as it put his nerve to the test, and he pounded with some short deep thrusts and clenched teeth to finish himself off as he pleased…and he certainly did. Grimmjow burst and didn’t stop moving until he’d drained his balls and breathing hard, he leaned over Ichigo on forearms and kissed Ichigo on the lips while he came down from the sexual high. The roll of pleasure from his climax was very lingering.

 

            All worn out Ichigo gently kissed back with his eyes just barely open and body still twitching slightly as the massive cock still in him started to relax just a bit. Still tasted like peppermint…and Grimmjow’s jaw being slightly scratchy was kind of a turn on. Ichigo was given moments to breath and smothered with kisses. “I didn’t know you could fuck like that…”

 

            That was a great way to inflate an already huge ego. “You never asked me to, but now ya know. And the magic word was ‘harder’.”

 

            “Uh huh…” Ichigo drawled, closing his eyes with a weak grin creeping onto his face.

 

            Grimmjow damn well knew that this guy wasn’t going to willingly move himself and withdrawing his relaxing cock, earning another long sigh of pleasure from Ichigo, Grimmjow pulled the covers out from under them and laid Ichigo over the mattress and started to cover him up. As Grimmjow kicked off his lube soaked sweatpants he also smoothed his hands approvingly over Ichigo’s stocking covered legs and up to Ichigo’s chest, playing with one of Ichigo’s nipples for a moment. “Do they still hurt?”

 

            “No, you calmed them down.” Surprisingly Ichigo still had the strength to grab Grimmjow and hold on so that the Espada over him got the message that they were definitely going to sleep right now and damn cleaning up until tomorrow. Ichigo’s lips and tongue were still remembering the peppermint taste of Grimmjow’s mouth. He was very content feeling the strong form holding onto him. Ichigo’s mind effortlessly slipped into thinking about the physical fights they had and how savagely or alternatively intimate those strengths could be used… This lingering euphoric feeling was just too good not to sleep on. Ichigo’s mind clicked off on the finial image of Grimmjow skating across the ice of that lake. What a magnificent hollowfied man…


	15. Gift Giving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings per this chapter: mentions sex, nudity
> 
> That's it! This is the last one.  
> “ICE MELTS” IS FINISHED. This is the last chapter. Thanks to anyone who’s read along with the whole thing. It was really time to write an ending for this project and I’m glad that it’s done but was also happy to have written it.

Fifteenth Segment

_"Gift Giving"_

 

 

            With Grimmjow’s excessively muscled arms securely around him Ichigo woke up slowly, blinking as the sun was coming in his window full-tilt and brightly. He was so warm and didn’t want to move with Grimmjow laying behind him, but it was inevitable. He had to get up. Ichigo managed to rotate to face Grimmjow and slid his leg against one of the Espada’s with his stockings still on. Both of Ichigo’s hands squeezed over Grimmjow’s pecs while he sweetly kissed the man good morning. They needed to get up regardless or everyone would be waiting on them.

 

            “Mmmnn?” Grimmjow groaned, seeming like he was going to wake up and then drifting back into light sleep very quickly.

 

            Ichigo patted his hands against Grimmjow’s heavy pecs. “Wake up, asshole.”

 

            Grimmjow stirred again and opened one eye then closed it. “Ssssh…I’m sleeping.” He was very resistant.

 

            A more conscious Ichigo tried to wriggle free; if Grimmjow wasn’t going to get up he would go do his Christmas morning things first and let Grimmjow sleep for a little while. It was easy to get out of the slumbering man’s arms, and only when Ichigo stood up out of bed did his body get a sore zing. “Nnnngh…” Straight down the spine and into his rear. Ichigo also felt like he needed a shower…a bath…some kind of rinse _badly_. Sex was hot until it sat on you for an entire night. Ichigo was still wearing those stockings, albeit they were not pulled up straight anymore, and his red underwear had gotten hooked around just his ankle. So Ichigo did the only appropriate thing and took off his underwear and put them on sleeping Grimmjow’s head. He stood back to admire. Perfect.

 

            Smirking Ichigo pulled off the stockings one at a time by his closet and grabbed the first pair of pants he saw, just some jeans and pulled them on loosely. He kicked all of their dirty laundry into a pile by the closet door which he intended to handle later. He really had soaked Grimmjow’s sweatpants with that entire bottle of lube last night. Maybe that was a bit of overkill…but it was hot at the time. At least it wasn’t all over the floor. Groggily a half-dressed Ichigo checked outside of his door for who was awake, usually easily figured out by whose door was open. There were no doors open though and no noise. Come to think of it Ichigo didn’t even know what time it was but it was daylight at the least. Out of his bedroom now Ichigo wandered up the hall and slunk into the washroom, shutting the door and first taking a well needed leak before showering and brushing his teeth. Much to his relief he cleaned up and felt a world fresher then wandered in just his jeans downstairs to get a roll or two of wrapping paper and tape.

 

            Isshin blinked at shirtless Ichigo as Ichigo came down the stairs. “Son, you might want to _zip up_.” The father pointed out and chuckled over his coffee while he stood by the television in the living room.

 

            Looking down and finding that his dad was right because those unzipped jeans seemed a bit compromising Ichigo’s eyes widened and he did that immediately. Nothing was really showing but it was still embarrassing. Ichigo wandered to get the wrapping paper from beside the tree.

 

            “You got up early just to wrap gifts?”

 

            “Uh huh.” Ichigo held the long rolls under his arm, at least he was feeling more awake.

 

            “You might want to grab some coffee while it’s fresh too. For you and Grimmjow,” Isshin suggested with a wink.

 

            Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean dad?” He wasn’t very offended he was just very wary of what his old man had figured…

 

            “It’s good luck to wake your lover up with coffee. Learned that from your mom.”

 

            With a loud groan of displeasure an over exaggerating Ichigo took the wrapping paper and marched for the kitchen. Nooooo… His dad must have heard something, that was the only way Ichigo could figure that Isshin would have nailed this. “Alright. Alright… I can take a hint.”

 

            Isshin shook his head with a proud sort of grin. If not the couch where else would Grimmjow sleep? …and Grimmjow was most certainly _not_ on the couch last night. That was the easiest piece to the puzzle, right next to the fact that when this father was out in the garage looking for some spare Christmas stuff there was an open condom wrapper on the floor by their car. Ichigo could be clumsy sometimes, but whether his son was growing up to love men or women…or hollowfied muscle heads…as long as Ichigo was happy it was a good thing, and this was the happiest Isshin had seen Ichigo since Thanksgiving.

 

            Exiting the kitchen after fetching the morning java Ichigo wandered back out with two steaming cups of coffee and the wrapping paper under his one arm.

 

            “You knew what to put in his coffee?” Isshin tested.

 

            “He likes anything sweet.” Ichigo confirmed. Looooots of sugar. Ichigo went back upstairs to continue with his getting ready.

 

~

 

            As Ichigo finished with the gifts Grimmjow, wearing some thick jeans only, was sitting on the bed behind him observing and drinking his over-sweetened coffee. He’d woken up with Ichigo’s underwear on his head…what the fuck was up with that? Prank probably. Presently the Espada was curious about this wrapping of gifts but he couldn’t tell what anything was in all of those identical white boxes. “Have you ever wrapped one of those in nothing but tape?” Evil.

 

            “Sure. And boxes in boxes for small stupid gifts,” Ichigo looked over a shoulder with a grin and saw Grimmjow smiling. It was just a soft smile but he’d hardly seen Grimmjow genuinely do that. “Are you going to stay? After you get your body back?”

 

            Grimmjow’s expression changed as he shrugged and stared off at a corner of the room. “Couple of them said they’d kill me if I went back.”

 

            “So there’s no point,” Ichigo started deducing as he turned around from the wrapped presents and sat with crossed legs and placed hands on his feet. He winced a little…sore butt. Lifting the coffee mug that he’d almost forgotten with all of the wrapping to be done, Ichigo spared himself a relaxing few minutes and took occasional sips from his more leanly sweetened coffee while talking to Grimmjow.

 

            The Espada rolled his oceanic eyes back toward the shinigami. “You couldn’t possibly put up with me for long.”

 

            Ichigo shook his head. “If you learn the word ‘sorry’, only destroy things that Urahara sets up in his underground training area below his shop and keep dicking me like you did last night I’m willing to try.”

 

            Grimmjow smirked.

 

            There was a knock on his door. Ichigo swallowed a swig of coffee before he answered that. “Yeah?” Ichigo turned to look back at the door.

 

            Isshin cautiously opened his son’s bedroom door while holding the cordless house phone. “For you,” he whispered and extended the phone to Ichigo then backed out of the room that so he wouldn’t disturb their privacy more despite the extreme temptation to gush about his son’s probable new ‘boyfriend’.

 

            With brows furrowed at first Ichigo held the phone up and talked into the receiver, “Hello?”

 

            “Ichigo-san! It’s Urahara, your friendly neighborhood dealer.”

 

            Ichigo’s face relaxed to the point where he almost deadpanned. This cheeky bastard was calling pretty early… “You’re calling early.”

 

            “I know! I warned you to expect that phone call and I apologize for that but I know how early your father wakes up regularly and I wanted to tell you the _good news_ as soon as possible.”

 

            “Huh? ‘Good news’?”

 

            Grimmjow continued to watch Ichigo curiously.

 

            Ichigo blinked his hazel eyes toward the floor and traced the woodgrain with an index finger – listening.

 

            “I’ve made a stabilizer for Grimmjow’s gigai. It’s only one injection and it should work indefinitely. Additionally his arrancar body responded to treatment wonderfully, we rid it of all foreign reiatsus, and we’ll be able to safely ask Orihime to heal it up the rest of the way.”

 

            “That’s really good, when should I come and get that stabilizer?” Ichigo sounded a tad excited.

 

            “Whenever you’re ready. You still have the tube of serum I gave you in case something happens, right?”

 

            “Yeah I do.”

 

            “Then you’re all set and safe until it runs out if you can’t come by soon. I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas morning and this adds to it.”

 

            “We are, and it does.” Ichigo nodded switching the side of his head which he held the phone up to. “Thank you…I think Grimmjow will probably need his gigai in the long-term.”

 

            “I was worried that it might go to waste. Excellent! Those things are a pain to recycle. Once we get that stabilizer pumped into it, no more fainting spells! Won’t that just be great?”

 

            Understatement. Ichigo was very happy to think of the possibility of never having to worry about those again.

 

            Yoruichi was yelling at Urahara in the background from the shop owner’s end of the phone conversation. “Have a merry Christmas Ichigo, you and all your wonderful family and the same our resident arrancar!”

 

            “Thanks. You too.” Ichigo hung up and stared at the phone for a moment before looking at Grimmjow. Urahara had gone from seeming like the ever opportunistic Kurotsuchi at aquiring useful research to being very humane and helpful. “Urahara’s really working hard to fix you up. I hope you’re not afraid of needles or shots.”

 

            “Don’t patronize me, whelp.”

 

            Ichigo set down the phone and pushed aside his unfinished coffee to get up and walk over to Grimmjow who was sitting on the bed still. The Espada rolled his eyes up to look at Ichigo as the shinigami got close. Ichigo placed his hands against Grimmjow’s stubbly face and moved them over the scratchy texture and then down Grimmjow’s neck, also a bit stubbly, and finally over the Espada’s shoulders. Holding onto either one Ichigo crouched and tried not to seem really sappy but he had something deep to say. “I wanted to tell you…” he stared at Grimmjow’s chest, “…that I know _what_ happened that brought you here.”

 

            Grimmjow looked slightly peeved but he didn’t take it out on Ichigo for once. His appearance was peeved but he was actually still just embarrassed.

 

            Ichigo looked up at Grimmjow’s eyes, “I wanted to tell you because I didn’t want you to find out on your own that I knew, and I want to promise you that I’ll _never_ pity you or ask to talk about it or whatever. It’s your business…but seriously…damn them for doing anything to you. Don’t think it’s automatically pity when I care about you.”

 

            Grimmjow’s expression eased up, though he didn’t say anything yet.

 

            “No matter what got screwed up, I want to fight you…and fuck you…and just _thrive_ while you’re around and not worry about that kind of bad shit. You drive me crazy in the worst and best ways and I want more. You have some heart of fire and you’re so hotblooded…you asshole.” Ichigo said it all while smiling.

 

            Grimmjow gave Ichigo an odd look. Not this heart thing again…

 

            “I don’t care if you’re off the chain, I just care if you stay.” Sliding his hands up Ichigo folded them together behind Grimmjow’s neck and leaned up. “The things you feel are where that heart I’ve told you about is at…that’s what a heart is. So will you stay?” Ichigo asked, hovering a breath away from kissing Grimmjow again.

 

            Grimmjow sank into that, leaning to get his arms all the way around Ichigo’s back and kissing that damn shinigami with a passion then drawing back to sigh in Ichigo’s face, “I’ll stay…” For the first time he didn’t feel too soft for agreeing with Ichigo.

 

~

 

            Some short time later the entire family, all _five_ , gathered in the living room.

 

            Ichigo was wearing that _bad_ Christmas sweater with the puppy in a hat again, the same one Grimmjow had teased him over twice, and his sweatpants while he sat on the couch with his legs curled in, sitting on his feet. Whether it was to keep them warm or be comfortable no one knew. Ichigo was still finishing his coffee and holding the rewarmed mug on his lap.

 

            Grimmjow was right up beside Ichigo, with both arms draped over the back of the couch and hands hanging with crossed legs against the cursions. Grimmjow was not going to wear a moronic sweater, just the black one from yesterday would do, which he hadn’t sweat all over as opposed to the grey shirt he’d had under it. He was wearing those nice pair of dark jeans he’d had on upstairs.

 

            Of course Isshin had turned up for presents in a Santa suit with a fake beard. What else was appropriate?

 

            Yuzu was dancing around in a red velvet dress with white fringes and it was absolutely adorable.

 

            Karin was basic and comfortable, just wearing a t-shirt with ‘X-Mas’ on it and some basketball shorts. From the other couch she looked over at the arrancar that her brother was cuddled up to. “So if you’re gonna be around my brother a while can I ask you to beat people up for me?”

 

            Grimmjow tilted his head, “Sure.”

 

            “Sweet.” In a rare display of glee Karin grinned.

 

            Ichigo pretended he didn’t hear that and continued drinking his coffee.

 

            Isshin picked up the first gift from under the tree which was in a papery bag that said ‘pas me to Ichigo pleese’. Obvious hint was obvious. Isshin walked over to the couch and put the common-looking bag in his son’s hands before going to get another gift for each of them to open at the same time.

 

            Grimmjow helped this along by taking Ichigo’s coffee mug and putting it on the coffee table in front of the couch they were on.

 

            Judging by the nondecorative exterior, bad spelling and scratchy handwriting…Ichigo looked at Grimmjow. “Doesn’t say whom it’s from.”

 

            “Well if you don’t like it, it’s from literally _anyone_ but me,” Grimmjow countered smartly. That snark would never stop.

 

            Isshin had given both of his daughters a random present and deposited one on the couch for Grimmjow too. Someone was thoughtful enough to get Grimmjow something, how kind. Finally, with one for himself too, Isshin stood by Yuzu and they energetically counted down and then everyone was supposed to tear into their wrapping.

 

            After tearing the paper off of her gift Karin was holding a new shirt with a painted retro bomb on the front, she was very pleased.

 

            Isshin was crying happily into the mug he’d unwrapped that said ‘world’s #1 dad’ and it was already filled with glitter. BLESS YUZU’S SWEET HEART.

 

            Ichigo pulled the top of the stapled bag apart and found a huge package of hot chocolate in it. He looked at the shimmery package that had been inside of the bag wide-eyed and smiling broadly. That was like…a _pound_ of hot chocolate, and this was his favorite thing, and _obviously_ from Grimmjow. In more ways than one it was _very_ sweet. “How the hell…” Grimmjow didn’t just pick this up without paying for it though, right? Ichigo looked at the Espada who’d opened his own gift and was inspecting it.

 

            A leather cuff for the wrist with snaps and chain link around it. Sick. Grimmjow grinned and held the neat leather cuff as he looked at Ichigo. “Hat ‘n clogs gave me some money. I spent it wisely, I think.” It had been at a point when Ichigo had gone to the restroom at the café that Grimmjow got the opportunity to get up from their table and spend the last of the change he’d received at the ice skate rental building on a bag of that powdered hot chocolate in the café. That had been last night and probably explained the rushed job of wrapping it…that or the fact that Grimmjow hadn’t been told that the fancy paper in rolls by the tree was for that purpose.

 

            Ichigo sighed relief. Now he didn’t have to worry.

 

            Yuzu squeaked delightedly, “A necklace! It’s so pretty!” A pretty pendant on a delicate gold chain too…

 

            Both Grimmjow and Ichigo looked at Yuzu and smiled fondly as she held up the beautiful and delicate necklace with absolute joy. The search for that necklace had helped some pretty significant things happen. It was a sign of determination and a memory. Ichigo had gone through hell to look for that thing, and on his way through that frosty hell he’d bumped into Grimmjow…who actually needed to be bumped into.

 

            Grimmjow leaned his head toward Ichigo’s ear. “You ever think she’ll understand the trouble we went through to find that thing?” He remembered digging through that cold-ass snow after Ichigo had given up.

 

            Ichigo shrugged. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Look, she loves it.” He remembered something similar with Kon and Karin helping him.

 

            Speaking of which. Isshin stared at a peculiar wrapped gift under their multicolored and lit tree as this peculiar gift started moving. A second later Kon tore out of the papery wrapping and leapt onto the coffee table with a dramatic and accusing pose, pointing at the two guys on the couch ahead. “ICHIGO, you bastard! You’ve gotta be kidding!” The mod-soul was enraged by Ichigo’s comfy canoodling with the man who’d taped him to a desk.

 

            “Bostov is alive!” Yuzu squeaked.

 

            While his little sister started smothering the mod-soul Ichigo whispered at Grimmjow, “Did you do that to him?”

 

            Grimmjow grinned slyly. “Maybe.”

 

 

 

 

In a world where Grimmjow and Ichigo can cooperate…

…happy holidays!

 

 

Das Ende


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